The DU Lounge

mokawanis

(4,442 posts) Wed Feb 27, 2013, 09:21 PM Feb 2013

My son-in-law rolled his van today

He was driving on the highway when he lost control on the snow and ice. The van went into a spin and crossed the oncoming lanes, without hitting any vehicles, and then slammed into a guard rail before rolling down a large hill, flipping over twice. He had just dropped my 5 y.o. grand daughter off at school 10 minutes before the crash.

He walked away without a scratch. The van is totaled.

Please be careful out there. It only takes a split-second for things to go horribly wrong.

18 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

My son-in-law rolled his van today (Original Post) mokawanis Feb 2013 OP

wow.... MrsBrady Feb 2013 #1

Thanks, MrsBrady mokawanis Feb 2013 #2

So glad he's okay. Loryn Feb 2013 #3

Thank you mokawanis Feb 2013 #5

I hit a van that did the same thing. kwassa Feb 2013 #4

No warning mokawanis Feb 2013 #6

I didn't even have time to get scared. kwassa Feb 2013 #9

That's what my son-in-law said mokawanis Feb 2013 #10

So fast it is, I know. So glad he's okay. freshwest Feb 2013 #18

Thank heaven he's okay LiberalEsto Feb 2013 #7

Thanks, LiberalEsto mokawanis Feb 2013 #8

Oh my god! Terrifying!! So glad he's okay and your granddaughter wasn't in the van! nt riderinthestorm Feb 2013 #11

Thanks, riderinthestorm mokawanis Feb 2013 #17

I am so glad he's OK csziggy Feb 2013 #12

I looked at those pics mokawanis Feb 2013 #14

Yikes. Glad he is OK. Wear those seat belts people. Hassin Bin Sober Feb 2013 #13

Passing that link to my son-in-law mokawanis Feb 2013 #15

If wiki is correct, it's now required as of 2012. Hassin Bin Sober Feb 2013 #16

MrsBrady

(4,187 posts)

1. wow....

Reply to mokawanis (Original post)

Wed Feb 27, 2013, 09:25 PM

Feb 2013

I'm glad he's ok.

mokawanis

(4,442 posts)

2. Thanks, MrsBrady

Reply to MrsBrady (Reply #1)

Wed Feb 27, 2013, 09:31 PM

Feb 2013

I keep at looking the pics of the wrecked van and imaging all the horrible things that could have happened.

Loryn

(944 posts)

3. So glad he's okay.

Reply to mokawanis (Original post)

Wed Feb 27, 2013, 09:37 PM

Feb 2013

From what I've seen on the news, I don't see how anyone leaves home in that snow.

mokawanis

(4,442 posts)

5. Thank you

Reply to Loryn (Reply #3)

Wed Feb 27, 2013, 09:44 PM

Feb 2013

We're sick and tired of driving in dangerous conditions here in Wisconsin. Can't wait for winter to be over!

kwassa

(23,340 posts)

4. I hit a van that did the same thing.

Reply to mokawanis (Original post)

Wed Feb 27, 2013, 09:40 PM

Feb 2013

Six-lane wide freeway, dry and clear after a snowstorm, except for a right hand land full of slush and ice in one spot. A van hit it and lost control and went sideways across all six lanes. I had no warning, could not avoid him, and I hit him in the left front wheel. Both vehicles were totaled, no one was injured. My airbags deployed and helped me.

I'm glad your son-in-law was not hurt, and didn't hit other vehicles.

mokawanis

(4,442 posts)

6. No warning

Reply to kwassa (Reply #4)

Wed Feb 27, 2013, 09:46 PM

Feb 2013

What an awful experience. One minute you're driving along just fine and the next you're in a crash that might kill you. Glad you made it out ok.

kwassa

(23,340 posts)

9. I didn't even have time to get scared.

Reply to mokawanis (Reply #6)

Wed Feb 27, 2013, 09:56 PM

Feb 2013

It was like whish, BAM, and the whole thing was over.

mokawanis

(4,442 posts)

10. That's what my son-in-law said

Reply to kwassa (Reply #9)

Wed Feb 27, 2013, 10:00 PM

Feb 2013

He said he lost control and the next thing he knew he was lying in a daze in the over-turned van, with shattered glass all over him.

freshwest

(53,661 posts)

18. So fast it is, I know. So glad he's okay.

Reply to mokawanis (Reply #10)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 02:53 AM

Feb 2013

LiberalEsto

(22,845 posts)

7. Thank heaven he's okay

Reply to mokawanis (Original post)

Wed Feb 27, 2013, 09:47 PM

Feb 2013

I hate winter driving.

mokawanis

(4,442 posts)

8. Thanks, LiberalEsto

Reply to LiberalEsto (Reply #7)

Wed Feb 27, 2013, 09:51 PM

Feb 2013

I hate it too, because even driving safely in winter conditions is no guarantee bad things won't happen.

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)

11. Oh my god! Terrifying!! So glad he's okay and your granddaughter wasn't in the van! nt

Reply to mokawanis (Original post)

Wed Feb 27, 2013, 11:47 PM

Feb 2013

mokawanis

(4,442 posts)

17. Thanks, riderinthestorm

Reply to riderinthestorm (Reply #11)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 01:10 AM

Feb 2013

Thanks for the kind words. It could have been a tragedy for the entire family. We all got lucky today.

csziggy

(34,136 posts)

12. I am so glad he's OK

Reply to mokawanis (Original post)

Wed Feb 27, 2013, 11:56 PM

Feb 2013

Sorry about his van.

My husband passed this wreck on the way home from work yesterday:

Victim Recovering After Tree Goes Through Windshield

Tallahassee, FL - A family friend reports that the victim was treated and released from the hospital with a hurt hand and sore hip.

According to Tallahassee Fire Department
Tallahassee, FL - At approximately 4:15pm, Tallahassee Fire Department, Station 11, responded to an accident on NB Centerville Road in the area of Roberts Elementary School and Montford Middle School.

Upon arriving, TFD learned that a female driver was driving north on Centerville Road when a tree impaled her vehicle.

The tree reportedly fell right in front of her, and she didn’t sustain any threatening injuries, but did have cuts on her hands.

By the time the Fire Department arrived, she was standing outside of the vehicle.
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Tree-Goes-Through-Windshield-in-Afternoon-Accident-193398531.html

The pictures are amazing - I would have expected the driver to have been killed or badly injured!

mokawanis

(4,442 posts)

14. I looked at those pics

Reply to csziggy (Reply #12)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:42 AM

Feb 2013

she's lucky her head is still attached! Hearing about stories like that make me believe even more in defensive driving and wearing seat belts.

Hassin Bin Sober

(26,330 posts)

13. Yikes. Glad he is OK. Wear those seat belts people.

Reply to mokawanis (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:09 AM

Feb 2013

I honestly think I was saved from a wreck last week by the stability control on our new Ford Focus.

I was over-taking, what I thought was, a slower moving vehicle in the right lane on the highway. I hesitated getting over because I had another car to my left about two car lengths back.

The visibility had just started to deteriorate due to sunset and snow and I was slowing down from 65 to 55ish.

At the last second, I realized the car was not slow. It was stopped on the highway. I jerked to the left and back right to stay in the lane - that's when the brakes on the right side of the car kicked in and made that "anti-lock brake da da da" sound and jerked the car back on track. At first I thought the brake noise was me swiping the stopped car.

When I look back on the incident, the car handled like it was on a rail. The system worked.

Might be worth a look see if they are replacing the vehicle and are in a position to get something with the new technology.

Electronic stability control
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_stability_control

Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology [1][2] that improves the safety of a vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction (skidding).[3] When ESC detects loss of steering control, it automatically applies the brakes to help "steer" the vehicle where the driver intends to go. Braking is automatically applied to wheels individually, such as the outer front wheel to counter oversteer or the inner rear wheel to counter understeer. Some ESC systems also reduce engine power until control is regained. ESC does not improve a vehicle's cornering performance; instead, it helps to minimize the loss of control. According to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one-third of fatal accidents could have been prevented by the technology.[4][5]

mokawanis

(4,442 posts)

15. Passing that link to my son-in-law

Reply to Hassin Bin Sober (Reply #13)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:46 AM

Feb 2013

because they will be replacing the van in the next week or so. I want him to maximize safety so he can continue to raise my grand kids!

Hassin Bin Sober

(26,330 posts)

16. If wiki is correct, it's now required as of 2012.

Reply to mokawanis (Reply #15)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 12:49 AM

Feb 2013

I find that hard to believe but great if it is true:

In the US, Federal regulations will require that ESC be installed as a standard feature on all passenger cars and light trucks beginning in 2012.[39]

Reply to this discussion