Very sad, girl killed in crash

[RidgeInMaine]

Driving her Ridgeline, crossed over centerline and into a bus.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/local/060121bushcrash.shtml

I take this road almost every morning, but not yesterday - for some reason I picked a different road.

From the article:
Police and friends were perplexed about what could have caused the brand new Honda truck to swerve into the oncoming lane.
.................
There is a picture but it's mostly covered up.

[steveberger]

Very sad. I suspect it was the young "new" driver and not the brand "new" RL that swerved.

[PAP]

From the picture it looks like a crash that you would survive. I wonder if she had her seatbelt on. Please everyone always always always buckle your seatbelts.

Prayers to her family.

[LadyRidge]

Prayers to her family and friends for their loss.
We have many ROC members in that area of the country.
If anyone knows her or the family please let us know.

A very sad day.

[Kellcut]

Horrible news, no matter what kind of vehicle she was driving.

How sad. Prayers out to her family and friends.

As for the cause, she was probably distracted by something. I think that there should be laws (as there are in some states) that teenage drivers cannot have more than one passenger that is not a direct family member. They just get distracted way too easily.

Sad sad day indeed :(

[SmokyMtnRidger]

Very tragic indeed. Our deepest sympathies extended to this Ridgeline family.

Smoky

[VetteBlue]

I wonder what injuries she sustained which claimed her life?

It bothers me that the other front seat passenger was so seriously injured. It sounds like the passenger compartment was compromised by the impact. With all the airbags in the Ridgeline, you would think the rest of the vehicle would be above average in crashes.

[5S Dude]

Horrible news, no matter what kind of vehicle she was driving.

How sad. Prayers out to her family and friends.

As for the cause, she was probably distracted by something. I think that there should be laws (as there are in some states) that teenage drivers cannot have more than one passenger that is not a direct family member. They just get distracted way too easily.

Sad sad day indeed :(

Man! This is very sad. Prayers out to this girls family.

[Kellcut]

I wonder what injuries she sustained which claimed her life?

It bothers me that the other front seat passenger was so seriously injured. It sounds like the passenger compartment was compromised by the impact. With all the airbags in the Ridgeline, you would think the rest of the vehicle would be above average in crashes.

Airbags are only part of it. They can't fully protect everyone in every situation. I wonder if they had their seatbelts on. If not, that would certainly add to the injury factor. People often think "hey my car has airbags and a great crash rating, I don't need to wear these annoying seatbelts". They just don't understand the crash rating is WITH seatbelts.

It's a very sad situation.

[VetteBlue]

Airbags are only part of it. They can't fully protect everyone in every situation. I wonder if they had their seatbelts on. If not, that would certainly add to the injury factor. People often think "hey my car has airbags and a great crash rating, I don't need to wear these annoying seatbelts". They just don't understand the crash rating is WITH seatbelts.

It's a very sad situation.


No - my point was that with front, side and curtain airbags, there's obviously a lot of focus on safety. I would think that the structure of the passenger compartment would be such that a frontal impact wouldn't compromise that structure allowing the serious leg injuries that one survivor had.

[Kellcut]

No - my point was that with front, side and curtain airbags, there's obviously a lot of focus on safety. I would think that the structure of the passenger compartment would be such that a frontal impact wouldn't compromise that structure allowing the serious leg injuries that one survivor had.

However, if you are not wearing your seatbelt, your momentum will still carry you forward and into the dash, there is no "leg" airbag to prevent that type of injury. Remember the car is going speed X and when you get in an accident, YOU, the passenger in the car is STILL going speed X.

Airbags and safety are only as good as the seatbelt you wear.

I've seen more than my share of injuries secondary to people NOT wearing seatbelts, even in the safest of autos with front/side and curtain airbags. If you read the article closely, they mention that the backseat passenger had his seatbelt on. They do not mention anything about the two front passengers having their seatbelts on. The passenger with the severe hip injury has an injury that sounds consistent with going forward into the dash.

[Ultra-HOG]

Very sad indeed. I am inclined to agree with Kellcut about the likelihood of the driver being distracted. Sadly, it probably was preventable. The seat belt question is also very important. My thoughts and prayers are for everyone involved.

[moumou48]

Very sad news. Our deepest sympathies…

Remember, seatbelt save lives. I hope Honda send the engineers to investigate.

[shortspark]

I too am very sad for the girl and her family. I have seen far worse crashes where people walked away. We don't know the injury that claimed her life but a sharp "whiplash" of the neck does not take much and that can kill you. I hope we find out what happened.

[RidgeOwner3]

Very sad for everyone involved, and for us fellow Ridgeline drivers.

This does bring up the point that, while we are driving one of the safest vehicles on the road, we still have to be careful and cognizant of what we do in it. There was a recent post about snow and ice driving where the guy said he was overly confident in his truck and may be driving to fast for conditions, possibly having a false sense of ultimate security. I, for one, have caught myself testing the capabilities of my new truck. I think I'll leave that to Honda R&D and whoever conducts government testing, and just be satisfied that in the case of an emergency I have a better chance of surviving than most.

Wearing seatbelts and driving attentively while allowing for road conditions is more important than relying on crash test results.

My good friend is a retired CHP officer who has shown me his CHP magazines. Not something you really want to see. His best advice to me was, NEVER GET IN A HURRY!! That's how most accidents happen.

[VetteBlue]

However, if you are not wearing your seatbelt, your momentum will still carry you forward and into the dash, there is no "leg" airbag to prevent that type of injury. Remember the car is going speed X and when you get in an accident, YOU, the passenger in the car is STILL going speed X.

Airbags and safety are only as good as the seatbelt you wear.

I've seen more than my share of injuries secondary to people NOT wearing seatbelts, even in the safest of autos with front/side and curtain airbags. If you read the article closely, they mention that the backseat passenger had his seatbelt on. They do not mention anything about the two front passengers having their seatbelts on. The passenger with the severe hip injury has an injury that sounds consistent with going forward into the dash.

I agree about seatbelts. Have worn mine for as long as I can remember - even when I was a kid in the 70's.

I would like to know more info about this crash though. Especially the circumstances that created the passenger's severe injuries and driver's fatality. If they were wearing seatbelts, then I want to know why the Ridgeline didn't protect them. If they were not, then the laws of physics as you stated, apply.

[Pizza Man]

Wearing seatbelts and driving attentively while allowing for road conditions is more important than relying on crash test results.



Very well said. The best protection against an accident and/or injury is good ol' defensive driving.

Such a tragedy. I was deeply saddened reading the original post. Reminiscent of a recent accident nearby that killed two high school seniors and severely injured two more. Add my prayers as well.

[WhiteRTLnav]

Even if she was wearing her seatbelt; having a head-on collision with a bus is going to seriously limit your chances of survival, not matter what you are driving. I'm assuming that they were both traveling at about 35 miles per hour or higher, which would be the same as running the truck into a brick wall at 70 miles per hour.

[swampler]

I would think that the structure of the passenger compartment would be such that a frontal impact wouldn't compromise that structure allowing the serious leg injuries that one survivor had.It also said the bus driver had serious leg injuries as well. If the accident was hard enough to injure the bus driver, I'm surprised anyone in the RL survived.

[Lingered_I]

It's often internal injuries that cause death in this kind of crash. While your body and the truck go from 50 to 0 in a fraction of a second, your internal organs still carry a lot of momentum and often rupture leading to death. Condolences to all involved.

[Oddjob]

It's often internal injuries that cause death in this kind of crash. While your body and the truck go from 50 to 0 in a fraction of a second, your internal organs still carry a lot of momentum and often rupture leading to death. Condolences to all involved.
How True about the third impact in a serious crash First impact is vehicle striking another object, second impact is occupants and cargo striking the inside of the vehicle and third impact is internal organs and large bones to include the brain coming to rest in or outside of the body.
Prays to all involved.

[dbb]

Just prior to reading this thread, I read the following from Grandmaster Frank DeMaria, renowned martial artist and founder of the American Center for Chinese Studies http://kungfu.org in Croton, NY:
The sorrow of life can be at times extreme, but those who study the philosophy of the Buddha know this is what he was talking about. There is little or nothing we can do about this other than to understand the way life is and prepare for it the best we can. There is no one who is absolved from the pain of life, but there are those who don't have the insight to know that where there is bad, there is also good.

There is much to be cherished about life, and much we can do to help soften the blows that life deals us. One way is to look at the good side more often and appreciate them more when they happen. Everything is good, a walk in the park, sunny day, and nice meal, some good friends, all these things and so much more can be enjoyed if we but look around us.

There are so many people right now that have nothing, no food, no home, or poor health. All over the world children suffer, adults suffer, and even the animals in the world suffer. There is no escape for any of us, but still you have to learn to smile more and find the littlest things that bring a smile to your face. You have to always ask yourself, is it that bad compared to so many others who are so much worse off than you or me?

To me, everything is a joy, and when things are going well I eat up every second of that moment. I always say to myself, today I am younger than I will be tomorrow, today I am happy, so I enjoy it because none of us can know what tomorrow will bring.

The entire world is in the same situation so you are never alone, there are always others thinking and feeling the same way you are right now. But try never to live with the false hope things will change and everything will be great from now on, because it won't, it will surely change and we will suffer again.

I truly believe life can be a hell for some and a heaven for others. It really is what you want to make of it. So even when the bad happens I know my suffering is no worse than anyone else and I thank the powers that be it is not even worse.

It will all pass in time for all of us, what can be the worse? Death? Well that sentence we all have to pay, every human being and every creature in the world will pass away. But this is the way of nature, and if you think about it long enough you will know really it is all for the best. Things must die so other things may be born from it, so the cycle may continue. As much as you may want things differently it will never be. With one cure of a sickness only to find another one is born, there are no cures for life and it sufferings, only you can lessen the pain by your attitude and understanding. There can never be anything that will really change the world, it has been this way since recorded history and will be till the end of time itself.

So don't be despondent, be happy with the life you have now, enjoy it and learn from it. In that knowledge and understanding comes peace and understanding to the workings of nature. You and I all share in human existence, it is a gift as well as an albatross, this is Yin and Yang at work. We have to come to balance with life and learn to live it bravely, and enjoy the time we have while we have it and not dream of things that will never be. Acceptance is the key to contentment. I accept and I am content, are you?

[Godskid]

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the family.

[VetteBlue]

It's often internal injuries that cause death in this kind of crash. While your body and the truck go from 50 to 0 in a fraction of a second, your internal organs still carry a lot of momentum and often rupture leading to death. Condolences to all involved.


Internal injuries clearly cause death in car accidents. But your sensational statement is a little to broad to be true. Otherwise, nearly every NASCAR driver would be tragically killed when they crash due to internal injuries caused when their organs crash into their rib cage, etc. That just doesn't happen on a regular basis.

Just as I am concerned about the structural integrity of our Ridgelines, internal injuries are caused when the structural integrity of our body is compromised. That's why I'm asking about the truck I'm driving? We all need more details about this tragic accident, because all along I've assumed that this was one of the safest vehicles on the road.

[Lingered_I]

Internal injuries clearly cause death in car accidents. But your sensational statement is a little to broad to be true. Otherwise, nearly every NASCAR driver would be tragically killed when they crash due to internal injuries caused when their organs crash into their rib cage, etc. That just doesn't happen on a regular basis.

Just as I am concerned about the structural integrity of our Ridgelines, internal injuries are caused when the structural integrity of our body is compromised. That's why I'm asking about the truck I'm driving? We all need more details about this tragic accident, because all along I've assumed that this was one of the safest vehicles on the road.
Sensational? My statement was factual, but also was not absolute. As mentioned above by Oddjob, there's the 3rd impact which is internal. It does not require the structural integrity of our body to be visibly compromised. The details are graphic and not suitable for discussion in this thread, which is tragic in nature. Enough shock to the base of the skull / neck /top of the spine may also result in death. The possibilities in this tragedy are numerous. Remember that airbags are not designed so much to cushion us from hitting hard objects, but are designed to slow the rate of decelleration by absorbing inertia. Your Nascar analogy is somewhat flawed in that you rarely see a Nascar crash that involves an immediate halt, although Dale Earnhardt was killed by such an accident. His protective roll cage was not compromised, but he died as a result of the whiplash. Most Nascar accidents involve a gradual but often spectacular dissipation of the forward momentum, but perhaps more relevent in your analogy is that Nascar drivers tend to be very fit people with low fat/body mass indexes. The fitness of the individual plays a big role in the survivability of accidents.

[captmiddy]

Someone mentioned that if each vehicle was going 35, it was the same as hitting a brick wall at 70. Actually it can be far worse because that statement is based on both vehicles weighing approximately the same. I have seen a vehicle hit by a school bus in Maine actually, and it was amazing the amount of damage done to the vehicle and the little damage done to the bus, and if you look at the picture, the bus looks as though it crumpled.

This is a sad story, and hopefully if there was any issue with the vehicle they find out what it was. But it only takes a second to get distracted and have an accident.

[SStan]

Sorry to hear this, condolences to her family. Losing a child suddenly has to be one of the hardest things to bear :(


I doubt being in another vehicle unless it was substantially larger wouldve helped in this case. On that particular bus the front bumper bolts directly to the frame and the forward part is boxed and very strong. It looks like the Ridgelines engine/transaxle was pushed back at that height and it most likely intruded into the passenger compartment.

[mayfielh]

Like everyone else I to send my sympathies in this time of sorrow.

Mugen1 this accident was in Portland Maine not Oregon, but to your point we do a have a hybrid system in Oregon until you are 18 unless you do x number of hours in driving school.

The one thing that kind of bugged me about the article was that the writer made it sound like the truck failed in some way.

Quote from the article: Police and friends were perplexed about what could have caused the brand new Honda truck to swerve into the oncoming lane. State police are assisting local officers in their investigation, which will include checking both vehicles for malfunctions.

As a driver that has nearly been hit a number of times by people that drop their cell phones, cigarettes, and jump because of spilled coffee I hope that people take this comment with a grain of salt and realize that short of a steering malfunction, a tire blow out, or a force of nature that would cause a vehicle to jump lanes like that.

[ridgekat]

Ditto Mayfielh !!!!!!
What is the "rest of the story !"

[justpar1]

I know what ever I write will never help with the healing process that the families will have to go through, but I myself feel sorrow for all. The families, friends, bus driver and children that had to go through with this accident. All have been damaged for life. As far as the vehicle...it just a vehicle. It could have been a Sport-Trac...or a Frontier or any other type of vehicle. Unfortunately, it was a Ridgeline (a vehicle). As I've read this thread through out the day, it ponder onto me that accidents happen everyday. It's bound to happen to someone in a Ridgeline, so it's not a big issue about the vehicle (not trying to sound harsh). We are human and we all make mistakes. Young or Old / New driver or 40 year veteran driver, it only takes a second to make a mistake. We don't know and we'll never really know what happen that day inside that Ridgeline, all we can do is suspect. I wish this would not happen again, but we live in a real world. So, if you're out on the road, think about the person beside you, behind you, in front of you. Make sure that they're able to get home to their family safely. I know that I'm not perfect when I drive...but this will make me think harder when I get behind the wheel. I'm not a church going person, but I will pray for the families tonight.:(

[Ridge]

Of course the driver was wearing a seat belt. It beeps if you don't wear it. Unless she couldn't take the beeping any more,...... and finally tried to fasten it.

I find it interesting that some here feel that the Ridgeline should protect you when driving into an on coming bus. You might find it interesting that Honda or any other auto maker doesn't test for that occurence. There is no give and take in that relationship. The Ridgeline took all the energy that the bus had to give. No investigation is required.

[Lingered_I]

No investigation is required.
Don't know if I'd go that far. I'd still like to know if something happened to a tie-rod or the steering linkage, although that may be impossible to determine given the state of the truck. The survivors may be able to provide more insight as to what the driver was doing.

[ridged]

Condolences to all involved.

From the perspective of one who investigates traffic crashes...

I guess I don't understand why there seems to be a rush, by some, to immediately indict the Ridgeline. No consumer level vehicle can be expected to prevent serious injury 100% of the time in head-on collisions. With no intent to demonstrate insensitivity or minimize the seriousness of this incident, it is just another crash, Ridgeline or not. It happens all too frequently to experienced, inexperienced, young and old drivers (and their passengers). I'll be shocked if this crash was caused by something other than driver distraction and I suspect that the Ridgeline will be acquitted. While I feel relatively safe in my Ridgeline, I do not have an unrealistic expectation that it can protect me from everything that might happen. On the contrary, I drive very defensively by trying to anticipate the unexpected (bonehead moves by other drivers, animals or pedestrians appearing suddenly in my path of travel, etc.).

[meanmachine19]

As a driver that has nearly been hit a number of times by people that drop their cell phones, cigarettes, and jump because of spilled coffee I hope that people take this comment with a grain of salt and realize that short of a steering malfunction, a tire blow out, or a force of nature that would cause a vehicle to jump lanes like that.

Although its easy to jump to conclusions i.e., no seatbelt, distractions, etc., the truth is almost every driver on the road will do something to put themselves at risk. Mayfielh's examples above are just a few.

If there was a tire blowout, there would be marks. However, a newspaper report is not a police (fatal) accident report. I am sure this small town will do a follow-up article when the information becomes available. Accident reconstructionists (State police assistance likely including this) can tell speed by the damage, even without skid marks.

This is tragic for any family, and a shock to us Ridgeline owners who pride ourselves on buying a safe vehicle. Even the safest vehicles in the world will have fatal accidents. When it's your time to go, and the big guy upstairs says so, it will happen. This time a Ridgeline was chosen as part of the equation.

Condolences and prayers to the McKinney Family.

[meinahonda]

This is truly sad. :(

Condolences and prayers to all involved.

[kbird]

[QUOTE=Ridge]Of course the driver was wearing a seat belt. It beeps if you don't wear it. Unless she couldn't take the beeping any more,...... and finally tried to fasten it.

Does the beep go awat after a few seconds? I've never found out. The article seems to indicate that only a rear seat passenger was wearing a seatbelt as it makes specific mention of this. I see lots of people have already admonished everyone to wear their seatbealts but don't forget the kids. I am absolutely sick and tired of seeing belted in parents with a kid or two running around in the back seat. There should be a whopper fine attatched to this lack of attention!

[VetteBlue]

I guess I don't understand why there seems to be a rush, by some, to immediately indict the Ridgeline.


Actually, it was the newspaper article that did that when they indicated that the truck veered left for unknown reasons... :rolleyes:

I was asking about is the structural integrity of the Ridgeline so I ~can~ make a judgement.

If Honda is going to use their safety as a marketing tool, then they must stand up to the scrutiny of thier customers. Naturally, the Ridgeline did well in Honda's in-house tests. Followed by NHTSA's Front/Side Impact, and Rollover tests. Now I want to see NIIHS do a frontal offset test on the Ridgeline. I'm confident that our vehicles are safe. I just want more proof.

[BillB]

No one tests vehicles to withstand the kind of impact this truck went through, and to expect any better performance from any set of safety features is unrealistic. From looking at the pictures, there seems to be no front end left at all beyond the front tire and that part of the truck had to go somewhere. The engine on the Ridgeline is supposed to drop and pass under the passenger compartment in such a severe front end accident and that is probably why the front is so severely crumpled.

[stinger]

I know what ever I write will never help with the healing process that the families will have to go through, but I myself feel sorrow for all. The families, friends, bus driver and children that had to go through with this accident. All have been damaged for life. As far as the vehicle...it just a vehicle. It could have been a Sport-Trac...or a Frontier or any other type of vehicle. Unfortunately, it was a Ridgeline (a vehicle). As I've read this thread through out the day, it ponder onto me that accidents happen everyday. It's bound to happen to someone in a Ridgeline, so it's not a big issue about the vehicle (not trying to sound harsh). We are human and we all make mistakes. Young or Old / New driver or 40 year veteran driver, it only takes a second to make a mistake. We don't know and we'll never really know what happen that day inside that Ridgeline, all we can do is suspect. I wish this would not happen again, but we live in a real world. So, if you're out on the road, think about the person beside you, behind you, in front of you. Make sure that they're able to get home to their family safely. I know that I'm not perfect when I drive...but this will make me think harder when I get behind the wheel. I'm not a church going person, but I will pray for the families tonight.:(
Well said!
My sympathies to the families of all involved .

[RAdams]

Actually, it was the newspaper article that did that when they indicated that the truck veered left for unknown reasons... :rolleyes:

I was asking about is the structural integrity of the Ridgeline so I ~can~ make a judgement.

If Honda is going to use their safety as a marketing tool, then they must stand up to the scrutiny of thier customers. Naturally, the Ridgeline did well in Honda's in-house tests. Followed by NHTSA's Front/Side Impact, and Rollover tests. Now I want to see NIIHS do a frontal offset test on the Ridgeline. I'm confident that our vehicles are safe. I just want more proof.

It appears that your first point is a battle of semantics and you've seemingly assumed that it was a fault with the truck. Apparently the truck veered left, but has it ever occurred to you that the driver caused the truck to veer left?

As for any judgements, you're free to make them but it doesn't mean they're correct. Recall that f=ma and that bus has a lot of m even if it wasn't carrying a whole lot of a. Also keep in mind that we only know what was written in the newspaper article. Each reader takes away something different from that photo but don't assume anything and certainly don't build upon your assumptions to arrive at a "fact". This was a horrible, unfortunate accident and will doubtlessly be investigated thoroughly to arrive at factual information.

I'm curious as to exactly what scrutiny you plan to subject Honda given that you know no more about the crash than what the newspaper included in their story?

[Ultra-HOG]

Of course I have no way to know if this is relevant to this situation or not but I can't help but wonder. To this day I still remember a very poignant lesson that my Driver Ed teacher taught me. At just the right time on just the right road he told me that he had placed a towel on the floor behind the front seat that I needed to pick up for him. In the few seconds that it took me to pick it up and as my attention returned to driving he slammed on the brakes (dual brakes). I was fully in the oncoming lane.
He intended to teach me several things during that one session. Mission accomplished.

[steveberger]

Give that teacher an award!!!

[VetteBlue]

It appears that your first point is a battle of semantics and you've seemingly assumed that it was a fault with the truck. Apparently the truck veered left, but has it ever occurred to you that the driver caused the truck to veer left?

As for any judgements, you're free to make them but it doesn't mean they're correct. Recall that f=ma and that bus has a lot of m even if it wasn't carrying a whole lot of a. Also keep in mind that we only know what was written in the newspaper article. Each reader takes away something different from that photo but don't assume anything and certainly don't build upon your assumptions to arrive at a "fact". This was a horrible, unfortunate accident and will doubtlessly be investigated thoroughly to arrive at factual information.

I'm curious as to exactly what scrutiny you plan to subject Honda given that you know no more about the crash than what the newspaper included in their story?

You have misread my comments/point completely backwards...

I think the newspaper article is ridiculous in blaming the vehicle for veering left. Clearly the bus wins the mass/tonnage part of our physics lesson.

Back to basics and away from personal judgements - All I want to know is, based on the severity of their injuries, how well did the passenger compartment hold up. That's it. That's all I want to know. That's been my question from my initial msg. The one picture of the accident scene doesn't show that, and none of us can answer that.

It doesn't matter - I'm just curious - I still love my truck. It's safer than the car I traded in, and I believe in the safety features Honda uses for selling points.

[nevadagarth]

I wonder what injuries she sustained which claimed her life?

It bothers me that the other front seat passenger was so seriously injured. It sounds like the passenger compartment was compromised by the impact. With all the airbags in the Ridgeline, you would think the rest of the vehicle would be above average in crashes.
Vehicle versus bus. The bus will always win. Vehicles are designed to absorb impacts from the greatest majority of potential crashes. The law of physics and probability were unfortunately against the occupants of this Ridgeline.

All vehicles could be designed and built to withstand a frontal impact with a bus, but the size, weight and cost would make the vehicle too big, too heavy, and too expensive. Chances are in this instance the engine and front bumper of the bus (a lot of weight) was able to ride up over the engine compartment of the Ridgeline (which is where most if not all of the impact absorbing elements are located) and enter the cab. An airbag will stop a person, but not an oncoming bus.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all people involved in this terrible tragedy.

[nevadagarth]

We also don't know WHAT killed the driver. It could have been an object that was able to puncture like a linkage or rod from the steering components of the bus. No vehicle, even some tanks, are able to stop objects that can puncture.

Based off of the whole F=m*a, I think we can all feel confident that the other occupants were able to be removed from the wreckage alive. A bus versus a truck in a frontal impact is always going to be an extremely severe crash. The mass and incompatible front bumpers (i.e. impact absorbing areas) are a recipe for disaster.