Give truck drivers a break on I-70

Valind

Valind

Active member
VAIL – A

36-year-old tractor trailer driver from Los Angeles died on Thursday

afternoon after he was hit while working on his wheel chains on I-70.

Vail Police say the driver of the semi had gotten out of his semi to adjust his chains when he was hit by another vehicle.

He was not in a chain-up area.

Interstate

70 westbound near mile marker 178 was closed for several hours because

of the crash, which happened around 1:30 p.m. Traffic was diverted off

the highway at East Vail.

The man was pronounced dead after he was taken to Vail Valley Medical Center. His name has not been released.

Police

are talking to the driver of another vehicle, but are still

investigating to make sure it is the correct and only other vehicle

involved.
 
Thats too bad to hear; I definitely agree with giving truck drivers on I-70 a break, I think often as skiers we think we naturally have the 'right of way' on the road and forget that really the highway is there for commercial traffic and those long-haul truckers have it tough enough as it is stopping to put on chains on there way over Vail Pass or the Eisenhower Tunnel. Hell just this morning I was up skiing some backcountry turns at Loveland Pass [Delicious knee-deep October freshies :) :)] and i saw dozens of Semi's and Tractor Trailers pulled off on the highway shoulder after Georgetown putting on chains for the pass. That's gotta take some real balls to drive a big rig hauling hazerdous waste or 100,000 gallons of highly explosive fuel up and over Loveland Pass in white-out blizzard conditions like it was this morning. Props for those guys for ensuring that we can still get relatively cheap food and gas up in the mountains; they are keeping the economy going. When I'm waiting for a ride skiing BC at Loveland or Berthoud Pass I always wave to those guys; most of em' are pretty chill actually.

Peace,

Phil.
 
this is very true, and RIP for that dude.

But at the same time i've encountered a ton of dumb ass truckers who haul through the corners at dangerous speeds where they could tip, or collide with other cars.  In my 3 years of driving on I 70 i'm pretty sure i've also encountered drivers of trucks falling asleep  or pushing high speeds in snow.  In respect to them though many of us should probably drive alot safer on I70.  I dont blaze on it like i used too.  But forgive me if i misread but the man wasn't chaining in a chain up area? In some cases thats not exactly the best idea.

I've constantly been tailed by truckers when i'm already 5-10 above the limit.  Truck drivers are usually very agressive and as impatient as the teenagers.  Yes the majority of them go slow on up hills but as soon as it drops they whiz by me.  Lately i've been taking back roads.  The increase of trucks, and intense hours they drive arent safe or healthy to anyone on the road.

I feel terrible that this dude got hit, but i feel everyone needs to be more respectful and drive safer on I70.  To many things can go wrong for any driver, brakes fail, slide outs, speeding in corners where your car could tip and pushing limits to get first chair.

Bottom Line everyone needs to be more concious of there enviorment on I70 and make sure they are sober and 100 percent able to drive.  I know tons of us rush up there on the weekends and with the accident rate going up its a matter of time before someone really close to the NS community gets hurt.  Please everyone drive safely.
 
Yeah I have to agree with the above. I've seen truckers doing some dumb stuff, but it's not like we can stereotype all truckers. Everyone has had their fair share of both idiotic truckers and the chill ones. Just last week there was about 3 trucks right before the tunnel that were trying to make it without chains and they were sliding all over the road causing traffic. That's just laziness, they are getting paid for everything they do, there are numerous chain up sites so not to chain up is just stupid. Still, the main idea is for all drivers to respect each other regardless of whether they are a trucker or just someone going to hit the slopes.

And that's terrible that he was killed. My condolences.
 
well, I drive I70 from Genesee to Frisco almost seven days a week. Yes, some truckers drive badly. Also, look at some of the ways that people drive in cars! I mean really, how many people have died on I70. I see tons of cars going 80 down the highway cutting other cars off and about five inches off another cars ass. So you cant really blame just the trucks or just the passanger cars. I tihnk that everyone on I70 needs to chill. There have been to many deaths just in the past six months on this stretch of highway.

On that comment about how he was not in a chain up area, Look at the one off of I70 at Georgetown, it's snowing and its not even ready yet, come on CDOT you know when the snow starts. there are tons of chain up stations that are still being put together.
 
a friend of mine at my school was the first person on the scene after he was hit. blood everywhere, a horrible scene he said. its sad, sometimes we all rush too much and dont focus on the most dangerous thing we do every day: driving. sage words, pay attention next time your in a rush on the highway.
 
Thats sad to here. To the comment above I still think truck drivers as a whole are a lot safer than other drivers. These guys are on the road so many more hours than the normal person, and I bet as an average they have less points against them
 
yeah some people really dont understand how amazing truck drivers really are at driving, we have a hard enough time with our 3000 lb cars driving in shitty weather, those truckers do just as good while driving something 10 times longer and 10 times heavier, with 10 more gears to shift through and countless other things you have to pay attention to while driving one.  all we do is stick it in a good gear and  from then on hit the gas and break and turn.

i tried driving a relatives truck with no trailer on an empty road, and it soooo much harder to drive, you have to shift like 5 times before you are going over 10 mph, and ive been to a profesional racing school, so you would think it would be a little easier for me.  

give them respect!!!
 
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