Tag Archives: crash

Four Die, One Survives in Queens, NY Drowning Crash

October 13, 2014 Mike

Who:

Darius Fletcher, 21; Crystal Gravely, 19; Jada Monique Butts, 19; Jaleel Furtado, 20, died on Friday, 4/4/14, when their 2009 Honda Accord driven by Andrew Gramm plunged into a creek in Queens, NY close to 19th Avenue and 37th St. in Astoria. Gramm managed to free himself from the car, swim to shore, and call for help at around 10:36 PM. However, everyone else died.

How:

Per reports, Gramm was speeding that night on a rainy road and was unaware that the road was leading to a dead end. When he realized it, he tried to turn, skidded sideways, and the vehicle steered into Steinway creek. The friends had been returning from a birthday dinner. The vehicle went through a 3 foot chain link fence, drove down an embankment, and entered the waters of the creek that were 10 feet deep. The driver had not been drinking. He was able to leave the vehicle, swim to shore, and call 911. Emergency services were on the scene within 6 minutes, but it took 30 minutes to extricate the passengers from the vehicle. They officially were ruled dead by drowning.

Why:

This is another unfortunate case of drowning that was entirely preventable. Nothing appears to have been physically wrong with the vehicle. Had Gramm not been speeding, he would likely have discovered his misdirection in time. However, once they were in the water, it is unclear whether or not the passengers attempted to exit the vehicle.

In such situations, is imperative to exit a vehicle immersed in water as quickly as possible. Most vehicles will typically float for at least a few minutes before beginning to sink, depending on the impact speed and angle, as well as the configuration of the vehicle’s undercarriage. It is sadly possible that the occupants may have panicked upon discovering their entry in the water, and did not think to removing their seat belts, if they were wearing ones, and exiting the vehicle. Alternatively, they might have been knocked unconscious had they not been belted.

Once a vehicle reaches a certain level of immersion, it becomes impossible to open the doors due to water pressure, and exit must be achieved either through open or broken windows or through waiting until the vehicle is fully submerged to open the doors. In the latter scenario, the odds of drowning are almost certain, as most people have begun to panic or have already given up on surviving.

While water immersions often prove fatal, they are often survivable. The presence of a safety hammer and an escape plan could have saved 4 lives here. Such a hammer enables the cutting of tangled or jammed seat belts and the breaking of glass, such as the windshield or door windows to facilitate exit. Of course, no amount of survival gear is of use if one does not act quickly in such a situation. The first step to do in an immersion is to exit the vehicle; calling for help can be done once one is clear of the vehicle and on land.

Another feature that could have saved lives here were personal flotation devices. Life jackets come in a range of sizes and many are discreet enough to either be worn under clothing without being noticeable or small enough to stow beneath seats within easy reach for such situations. A type 3 life jacket may have saved all four lives for less than each member spent at the birthday dinner.

Ultimately, however, it is essential to know how to swim. There are a number of local programs most people can attend, while it is also possible to learn to swim through educational training DVDs online. It is entirely possible that Gramm was the only occupant to survive because he was the only occupant willing to leave the vehicle because he was the only one who knew how to swim.

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Three Killed in Phoenix, AZ, in Minivan vs. Car Crash

October 9, 2014 Mike

Who:

Evan Christian Hendriadi, 50; Lio Kim Tjhiuw, 78; and Jenny Sudjono, 70, all from the same family, died just after 4:30 AM in Phoenix, AZ on 5/16/14 in the southbound lanes of I-17, immediately south of the Bumble Bee exit, when their 2011-era Toyota Sienna was hit by a wrong-way Chrysler 300 driven by a Phoenix man in his 60s, who was seriously injured in the collision. The collision occurred close to Sunset Point. Three others in the Sienna, including a 9-year-old boy, were seriously injured.

How:

The Sienna was southbound on I-17 while the 300 traveled the wrong way northbound on southbound I-17. A number of passers-by called 911 to alert police, and 5 highway patrol officers as well as a helicopter tried to stop the wrong-way vehicle. They were not able to reach the vehicle in time, and the collision occurred. Charges are pending.

Why:

This is another sad case of a wrong-way driver leading to needless fatalities. While the official reports have not been released, I have to wonder if the 300 driver was drinking, based on the profile of the collision, such as the time (drunk drivers are far more likely late at night) and the behavior (wrong-way driving is much more common among drunk drivers).

Let’s look at the physics in effort to unpack why so many individuals died in what should have been one of the safest vehicles on the road today. The 2011-era Sienna is a safe, solid vehicle. It weighs ~4342 lbs and comes with a “good” frontal score. It was impacted by a Chrysler 300, which weighs between ~3726 and 3961 lbs, depending on the year, and also comes with a “good” frontal score. Presuming it was on the higher end of the scale, that would mean the Sienna automatically faced 9% less force in the collision than it would have colliding with another Sienna. In other words, the weights are close enough to be considered negligible.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~75 mph, the Arizona highway PSL), the collision likely imparted at least 1.01MJ of energy into the Sienna. The Sienna frontal impact test simulates 315KJ of energy (a Sienna impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Sienna faced 321% of the force it would have experienced in the type of crash the vehicle was rated for. That ratio is easily enough to cause fatalities, as has been the case in many of the collisions I’ve looked into. But the driver survived these forces, as did two other individuals in the vehicle. However, three others did not. I imagine the advanced ages of two of the individuals who perished played a significant role in their demises, as one’s risk of severe or fatal injury increases inexorably with age after one reaches adulthood. It is also possible that they may have been unbelted, although statistically, seat belt compliance rises with age. A review of the image of the Sienna suggests vehicular integrity was maintained extremely well, especially compared to the 300, where the driver’s survival was a surprising, though, fortunate occurrence.

Whatever the reason, when dealing with 300% of the forces a “good” scoring vehicle is designed to withstand, survival odds, based on the crashes I’ve looked into, are low. I’d tentatively estimate they’re on the order of 25% based on a quick mental review of previous cases. There are forces that are simply too large for the human body to withstand.

Once again, this was another completely preventable tragedy. Whether or not alcohol was involved, and I suspect it was, distracted driving was certainly a factor, and it cost three innocent people their lives.

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Couple from Seattle, WA Killed in SUV vs. Bus Crash

October 2, 2014 Mike

Who:

Robert Rotta, 76, and Elizabeth, 35, his wife, were killed on Monday at around 9:33 PM on 5/5/14 in Kirkland, WA. They sat in a 2010 Ford Escape driven by Ken, 51, one of their sons, at the Northeast 128 St overpass. They were killed by a Sound Transit bus, a 2008 Gillig Phantom, driven by Aleksander Rukhlin, 54, and populated by around 35 passengers. Robert died at the scene, while Elizabeth died a few hours later. Ken survived with a broken rib and several cuts and bruises.

How:

Rotta was broadsided by the bus on the passenger side after the bus ran a red light. The bus was exiting I-405 at the time and traveling at 45 mph. The collision was reported by several passengers and the driver did not immediately stop. The driver was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and suggested the brakes failed. The State patrol requests felony charges be brought against the driver.

Why:

It is unclear why this collision occurred, although it appears to have resulted from a lapse of attention from the bus driver. Whatever the cause, it resulted in a tragic loss of life due to the overwhelming mass of the bus that crashed into the SUV.

The 2010 Ford Escape weighs ~3476 lbs and has a “good” side score. It comes with head and torso side airbags in the front seats and side head airbags in the rear seats. Its structural subscore was “acceptable.” The 2008 Gillig Phantom weighs ~36,220 lbs empty. With 36 occupants, it would have weighed approximately 42,000 lbs.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (45 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 4.13MJ of energy into the Escape / Bus. The standard side impact test simulates 143KJ of energy (a 3300-lb sled impacting a vehicle at 31 mph). In other words, the Escape faced 2888% of the force it would have experienced in the types of crashes cars are side rated for. It is sadly understandable that two victims succumbed to these forces, particularly since at least one of them must have been sitting in either the front or rear passenger seats, or directly at the point of impact.

What I find most remarkable about this collision is that any individual in the vehicle survived at all. This is one of the most severe side impact collisions I’ve calculated thus far, and I would not have expected any individuals to survive it. The driver did, however, with not much more than a broken rib. His position opposite the collision undoubtedly helped, as did his use of a seat belt and the structural integrity of the Escape. I have to imagine that the crash-absorbing structures in the bus played the lion’s share in his survival, as he should not have lived through this collision.

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Delfin Ignacio, 45, in Port Orchard, WA, Killed in Car vs. Pickup Crash

September 22, 2014 Mike

Who:

Delfin Ignacio, 45, was killed at around 10 PM on 5/22/14 just east of Port Orchard, Washington, on State Highway 16. He drove a 1998 Ford Escort ZX2 the wrong way down the highway and crashed into a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Anthony Swinsinski, 27, just before the off ramp for Mullenix Road.

How:

Per police reports, troopers received calls about Ignacio due to his erratic westbound highway driving. He then turned and started heading east in the westbound lanes of SH 16, which led to his collision with the Silverado. He was pronounced dead at the scene, while Swinsinski required 10 minutes of extrication and suffered a broken ankle. Police stated alcohol was a factor in the crash, which made it at least the 3rd time Ignacio had driven drunk.

Why:

Once again, alcohol was the root of a wrong-way head-on crash. One out of every 3 deaths on our roads occur due to alcohol, and these kinds of crashes explain why. The history of the drunk driver also points to the clear and present need to reform our drinking laws in the United States. He had been arrested for driving drunk on two separate occasions (2003 and 2009), and yet was still eligible to drive and decided to drive drunk again that night.

The 1998 Escort weighs 2538 lbs and comes with an “acceptable” IIHS frontal score. It was impacted by a 2000 Silverado that weighs 4709 lbs, or 186% of the Escort’s weight. As a result, the Escort automatically faced 86% more force in the collision than it would have colliding with another Escort, placing it at a severe disadvantage in the collision.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~55 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 646KJ of energy into the Escort. The Escort frontal impact test simulates 184KJ of energy (an Escort impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, the Escort faced 351% of the force it would have experienced in the type of crash the vehicle was rated for. Given these forces, death was a near-certainty.

The Silverado’s frontal test simulates 341KJ of energy (a Silverado impacting another at 40 mph), indicating that its occupant would have faced 102% of the forces the vehicle was rated to safely withstand, given that the Escort imparted 348KJ of energy into the Chevy. Despite the marginal “front” score, this was clearly a survivable collision for the Chevy’s occupant, which was reflected in the survival of the driver with nothing more than a shattered ankle.

Once again, the decision to drink and drive led to a needless death. Fortunately, the individual who had been driving sober and legally did not lose his life in the process. However, the lives of the men involved and those who loved them will be forever altered, as is always the case in these tragedies.

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Troy H. Stapelton, in West Chester Township, OH, Killed in Car vs. Pickup Crash

September 11, 2014 Mike

Who:

Troy H. Stapelton, from Ann Court in Fairfield, OH, died on Thursday at around 8:35 AM, 5/29/14, when his 2011-era Toyota Prius was hit in a side impact at Ohio 747 and Port Union Road in West Chester Township, Ohio. He was hit by a 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche driven by Terrance R. Strader, 32.

How:

Strader rear-ended a southbound blue Honda Civic driven by Christy Martin, 53, at Mackenzie Court and Ohio 747. She was only mildly injured. Strader then fled the scene, ran a red light at Port Union and Ohio 747, and impacted the Prius in the driver’s side as the Prius tried to turn left from Port Union Rd to Ohio 747. Stapelton died at the scene, while Strader required extrication and was hospitalized. Neither wore a seat belt. Stapelton drove a work vehicle, Universal Transportation Systems. Police stated that, based on vehicle damage, speed was believed to be a factor. Lt. Barry Walker from the West Chester Police Dept. stated “This was a very high-speed collision.” Strader, per news reports, had previously been involved in a major crash two years ago.

Why:

This is another sad case resulting from speeding, which is implicated in 1 out of every 3 auto deaths in the US. It is also a fatality that resulted from a failure to yield at a red light, and a fatality that resulted from someone who committed a hit and run, all in the span of a few minutes. Sadly, it’s also a crash that became more severe because the victim did not wear a seat belt.

The 2011-era Prius weighs ~3064 lbs and has a “good” side score. It comes with head and torso side airbags in the front seats. Its structural subscore was “acceptable.” The 2007 Avalanche, which is based on the Silverado, weighs ~5990 lbs.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (I’ll estimate ~55 mph, or 10 mph above
the 45 mph PSL), the collision likely imparted at least 821KJ of energy into the Prius / Avalanche. The standard side impact test simulates 143KJ of energy (a 3300-lb sled impacting a vehicle at 31 mph). In other words, the Prius faced 574% of the force it would have experienced in the types of crashes cars are side rated for. It is sadly understandable that the victim succumbed to these forces, especially when he was not safely restrained.

I can’t say wearing his seat belt would have saved Stapelton’s life, but it certainly would have improved his chances significantly. Side airbags are supplementary restraint systems; they are designed to help increase ride down time for individuals who are already restrained with seat belts.

What is absolutely certain is that the collision that led to the fatality occurred because an individual repeatedly chose to break the law while behind the wheels of a 3 ton missile.

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35,000 Americans will die this year on the road. You don't have to be one of them. A car seat and car safety blog to promote best practices for families.