Wilson Dam Road - get over your ego

I hope someone is able to provide a list of names of those making up the local committee that is supposed to be appraising the property along this corridor, I am currently unable to find them. As for the policy of naming names in the forums, the names of those making up this committee are fair game.

Keep in mind the Bowen family as you read this. These girls lost a mother. She was a truly amazing wife. She was a kind neighbor to all, loving teacher to her students, and will be sadly missed. We can't delay in resolving this issue. Our community can't afford another loss of someone as fine as Nicole.

How did the road cause the accident?

I believe there was another accident there yesterday where the road goes into two lane right past Avalon Avenue on Wilson Dam Road. That would be an arguement for you on the way the road is being handled.

Accidents happen on four lanes too. Isn't the speed on Wilson Dam 45-50mph?

I was under the impression that it was the homeowners/landowners holding out for more money after being offered that was causing the delay. Not local officials. But I've been wrong before.

I think most of them have sold with the exception of the landowners at sixth street and wilson dam road. There is ample available land to continue the road construction.

actingmayor, I am sympathetic to your rant, but why four lane it? The state is working on making it seven lanes!

It is a tragic event that will have life long lasting effects, for the girls and family of the woman. While the widening of the road may have prevented the accident from happening the way it did none of us know what really caused one of the vehicles to leave it's lane.

The real reason for the wreck may never be known but regardless of the blame the two girls have much more than just their serious injuries to get over. It's heartbreaking to think of having to tell them, if the don't already know that their mom is not coming home.

All relevant parties would be willing to stipulate that according to state and federally approved traffic formulas, that the amount of traffic that uses the two lane Wilson Dam Road overwhelmingly justifies it's expansion. The hard data supports the factual information derived from these studies and formulas, regardless of opinions. Often implied, and other times clearly stated, the justification for the expansion of the roadway is due to the fact that the volume of traffic on that section of roadway, in its current state, both creates and sustains "hazardous driving conditions." The very reason roadways such as this are expanded are to accommodate excessive volumes of traffic, to alleviate traffic congestion, promote ease of travel, and eliminate hazardous roadway conditions.

At the end of the day, it is a dangerous stretch of road. It is a perpetual hazardous condition, and data, more than my own opinion, support these claims. Our local officials and community members need to get angry enough over this issue to bring about an immediate, satisfactory resolution to these hazardous roadway conditions.

quote:

Originally posted by Dade Quimby:
I was under the impression that it was the homeowners/landowners holding out for more money

That's what I heard too.

A friend of mine talked with one of the guys who worked the wreck & said it's believed that the trucks brakes malfunctioned & caused the truck to jerk to the left & that's when they were hit.
My heart goes out to those two little girls, the family for their loss & the man driving the truck.

quote:

Originally posted by semiannualchick:

quote:

Originally posted by Dade Quimby:
I was under the impression that it was the homeowners/landowners holding out for more money

That's what I heard too.

That's true

quote:

Originally posted by semiannualchick:
A friend of mine talked with one of the guys who worked the wreck & said it's believed that the trucks brakes malfunctioned & caused the truck to jerk to the left & that's when they were hit.
My heart goes out to those two little girls, the family for their loss & the man driving the truck.

That malfunction sounds like what we who drive air brakes call 'override.'

Override is when the brake linings get hot and a little mushy. If the front (steering) brakes are out of proper adjustment, the brake shoe ends override the S-shaped cam that activates them causing that wheel to momentarily lock which in turn causes a brief loss of steering control toward the affected wheel.
If the driver is not expecting this to happen and does not have a good enough compensating grip on the wheel-a violent jerk (Oversteer) in the direction of the locked wheel occurs.

Put a trailer behind that tractor and the situation is made worse by the load's tendency to continue going straight while the tractor swerves (jackknifes). Overcorrection of this event can cause a very hard to control unintended lane change/rollover.

Paying attention to the brakes' behavior on a previous trip and performing a proper pre-trip inspection can make a driver aware that his brakes need adjustment before they get that bad.

The TD article stated that the driver was 70 years of age. Not knocking that particular driver, but most of the really old guys that I've seen drive buses perform more of a 'pre-tend' than a proper pre-trip inspection.

Blaming the officials of Muscle Shoals might not do much good. The road is under the jurisdiction of the state and much of the two-lane stretch isn't even in the Muscle Shoals city limits.

Eventually the facts of the collision will be revealed. It is a very sad and tragic event. I can in no way judge what happened as I don't have the facts. But I most certainly believe a lot of people, especially family, are in pain right now. A still blooming young life of a wonderful mother who gave back to the community has been lost. Two young girls will now face a new world now and need additional love and guidance. Let's keep them in mind.

Plain and simple. It's not the road's fault-It's not the city or the state's fault.

Sh!t happens. Unfortunately it seems it could have been prevented by the truck's operator.

Maybe the road sucks but the truck sucked worse.

Tragic in deed. What is a 70 year old doing driving a semi?

Answer: There are not enough dudes under that age with a suitable driving record to have a CDL due to DRUGS. The old dudes have to step up and do the job.

Who is at fault? The ragged society that takes candidates to drive trucks out of the work force by insisting young folk have the opportunity to pour Drugs in their heads.

I doubt his age had anything to do with it and he probably was not responsible for the truck's maintenance. If we're going to use sterotypes the lady could have been distracted by phone and kids and didn't see him in time to get off road.

Like Road Puppy pointed out, drivers are responsible for a pre-trip inspection. That includes proper operation of brakes.

quote:

Originally posted by Trutooit-II:
I doubt his age had anything to do with it and he probably was not responsible for the truck's maintenance.

The joys of a CDL. He's not responsible for the actual maintenance, but he's responsible to make sure it has been maintained to be road worthy.

quote:

Originally posted by ffemt:

quote:

Originally posted by Trutooit-II:
I doubt his age had anything to do with it and he probably was not responsible for the truck's maintenance.

The joys of a CDL. He's not responsible for the actual maintenance, but he's responsible to make sure it has been maintained to be road worthy.

Yup. Them's the breaks. Ultimately the operator of the vehicle is responsible for anything that vehicle does. Most cases if the driver is an independent, he'll get it fixed even if it makes the load late. If he's a fleet driver, he can refuse to drive a defective vehicle and use another one until his is serviceable.