5 killed as 78 year old bus driver hits jackknifed semi

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 05:19:27 GMT, laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE
> wrote:

>
>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9718085/
>
>5 killed in Wisconsin school bus crash
>29 injured in morning collision with tractor-trailer; NTSB
>
>Updated: 6:43 p.m. ET Oct. 16, 2005
>OSSEO, Wis. - A bus carrying high school students home from a band
>competition crashed into a tractor-trailer that had jackknifed on the
>interstate early Sunday, killing four adults and an 11-year-old girl,
>officials said.
>
>--------------------------------------------------------
>
>Hell, this happened on a freeway where you can always see a problem
>like this in time to stop.

That doesn't sound the like Northern Wisconsin that *I* am familiar
with.

That whole area is covered by glacial moraine deposited during the
last ice age. Lots of rolling hills, twists, turns, and TREES reduce
line of sight in many places.

Not that that is any excuse, of course. If that geezer lived in
Chippewa Falls, he should have known that visibility would be limited
at times and taken steps to compensate. There's no excuse for
overdriving your line of sight, especially when you're a 78-year-old
geezer with the reaction time of a barrel of molasses...

Scott en Aztlán wrote:
> On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 05:19:27 GMT, laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE

> >Hell, this happened on a freeway where you can always see a problem
> >like this in time to stop.
>
> That doesn't sound the like Northern Wisconsin that *I* am familiar
> with.

Although even from here (Manitowoc), which is optimistically termed
'Northeastern' Wisconsin (and is geographically in the southern half of
the state, no matter how you figure it), Osseo is nearly due west -
just about on the north-south line on which you'd divide the state.

It really seems that they divided the state horizontally into thirds.
The southern third is considered 'southern' and includes Milwaukee and
Madison. In the typical Milwaukee geocentric view, everything north of
the Ozaukee County line is considered 'north', up to about Green Bay,
which considers itself 'northeastern Wisconsin'. The top third, above
Highway 29, and containing upwards of 300 inhabitants (all of whom rent
tourist cabins or sell bait and ammunition), is simply known as, "up
Nort'".
--
C.R. Krieger
(Don't blame me; I only live here.)

On 18 Oct 2005 12:28:45 -0700, "Motorhead Lawyer" >
wrote:

>> >Hell, this happened on a freeway where you can always see a problem
>> >like this in time to stop.
>>
>> That doesn't sound the like Northern Wisconsin that *I* am familiar
>> with.
>
>Although even from here (Manitowoc), which is optimistically termed
>'Northeastern' Wisconsin (and is geographically in the southern half of
>the state, no matter how you figure it), Osseo is nearly due west -
>just about on the north-south line on which you'd divide the state.

Fine, I'll concede the point that Osseo might not be "northern"
Wisconsin. However, that doesn't have any effect on my main point
regarding the terrain. Westbound I-94's descent into the St. Croix
river valley near Hudson is especially dramatic.

Scott en Aztlán wrote:
> On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 05:19:27 GMT, laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE
> > wrote:
>
> >
> >http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9718085/
> >
> >5 killed in Wisconsin school bus crash
> >29 injured in morning collision with tractor-trailer; NTSB
> >
> >Updated: 6:43 p.m. ET Oct. 16, 2005
> >OSSEO, Wis. - A bus carrying high school students home from a band
> >competition crashed into a tractor-trailer that had jackknifed on the
> >interstate early Sunday, killing four adults and an 11-year-old girl,
> >officials said.
> >
> >--------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >Hell, this happened on a freeway where you can always see a problem
> >like this in time to stop.
>
> That doesn't sound the like Northern Wisconsin that *I* am familiar
> with.
>
> That whole area is covered by glacial moraine deposited during the
> last ice age. Lots of rolling hills, twists, turns, and TREES reduce
> line of sight in many places.
>
> Not that that is any excuse, of course. If that geezer lived in
> Chippewa Falls, he should have known that visibility would be limited
> at times and taken steps to compensate. There's no excuse for
> overdriving your line of sight, especially when you're a 78-year-old
> geezer with the reaction time of a barrel of molasses...

Couldn't have said it better. I have been wondering about this as at
the beginning of the thread no-one seemed to find it strange that he
ran into the rig. That is known as following too close in my book,
close depending on circumstances and age certainly is an important one.

Harry K