Fatal in Franklin

troll-sniffer said :

As a taxpayer and ratepayer I want to know who will be held responsible for the damage to the pole. Just because the driver isn’t around to answer for his actions doesn’t mean that someone shouldn’t be held responsible for making good the community’s infrastructure.

Quite agreed.

As noted above he has at least two children – these could usefully be sold to help recover the replacement cost of the pole and the mother perhaps leased out on a contract labour basis for a period of time to pay for a nice piece of public art to go round the base.*

* Note, these may not be serious suggestions. IANAL or accountant.

phil m said :

Hoooopefully next of kin have all been informed.
That’s a pretty recognisable vehicle for the photos to be on the net already.

There’s no point worrying about that.

What really matters is why the accident happened and why each time there is a fatal road accident the media beats the hell out of it anyway……

troll-sniffer said :

As a taxpayer and ratepayer I want to know who will be held responsible for the damage to the pole. Just because the driver isn’t around to answer for his actions doesn’t mean that someone shouldn’t be held responsible for making good the community’s infrastructure.

Insurance?

As a taxpayer and ratepayer I want to know who will be held responsible for the damage to the pole. Just because the driver isn’t around to answer for his actions doesn’t mean that someone shouldn’t be held responsible for making good the community’s infrastructure.

tom_battams said :

I’m sure those light poles are supposed to be collapsible, so that in the event of an impact they topple backwards over the top of the car. From the pictures, this one looks solid as a tree…

Even though it hit right on the the pillar, its not the strongest part of the car. All motor vehicles wear their accident protection in the front as that is where the majority of collisions happen.

In that year model of vehicle there was a door intrusion rule as well but it is only the door that is tested while it is closed with the pillar only coming into play in the hinge/latch areas. Basically there is no rule for the pillar strength of the vehicle in an accident for that year model, I am not surprised that the vehicle absorbed more energy than the pole.

The other thing is your head is only a few inches from the pillar & there is no padding. if it was frontal accident, you are a foot or more from the steering wheel & then there is the airbag that will protect you after the seatbelt stops you from moving forward.

It doesnt take much of a crack to the head for it to be lights out.

tom_battams said :

I’m sure those light poles are supposed to be collapsible, so that in the event of an impact they topple backwards over the top of the car. From the pictures, this one looks solid as a tree…

Most modern light poles are designed to shear off at the ground level fitting they are bolted to. There are however lots of reasons that might not happen. If the ground level fitting is up a little high and the car hits that too, or if the car hits sideways it might not actually hit hard enough to shear it off… The poles are still pretty strong, since they have to support their own weight, in wind etc, and that looks like a big one.

I’m sure those light poles are supposed to be collapsible, so that in the event of an impact they topple backwards over the top of the car. From the pictures, this one looks solid as a tree…

Note the drivers seat sitting on the passenger seat with the light pole in it’s place. Horrific!
Another young family devastated by a moment of reckless behaviour.

The accident happened here:
http://www.nearmap.com/?ll=-35.190838,149.150153&z=22&t=k&nmd=20101124

The light pole has since been removed, and there are lots of small glass chunks sprayed over Pape St. There are green spray marks on the kerb where the tyres hit, and a few small marks on the grass (probably from other vehicles though).

The guy was heading south (going downhill), and looks to have hit the kerb at an angle, ending up spinning 180. Doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it could be the result of totally botched handbrake turn…

pptvb said :

KB1971 said :

screaming banshee said :

Look, a maroon coloured white commodore!

Fail, its a Satesman.

So, a a tarted-up, expensive Commodore!

We Holden konnissers prefer the term ‘long wheelbase’…

georgesgenitals said :

He must have been absolutely flying to do that much damage. Check out how twisted the body is by comparing the positions of the wheels.

There’s several instances of speeding drivers/motorbike riders in Franklin. By speeding, I’m talking about the sort of speeds that result in the accident shown here. eg. The other day some moron bogan sped through a roundabout without even looking to the right. If I’d been 2 seconds faster, I’d have been T-boned.

There are also some insane motorcyle riders who cut through the suburb every few weeks. The engines can be heard streets away, given there are some serious revs going on. I saw a group of 3 a few weeks ago and they were certainly not doing 50ks on the residential streets. If any of those riders come off, it’ll be really messy.

KB1971 said :

screaming banshee said :

Look, a maroon coloured white commodore!

Fail, its a Satesman.

I thought a statesman was just a slightly longer crumpledoor?

KB1971 said :

screaming banshee said :

Look, a maroon coloured white commodore!

Fail, its a Satesman.

So, a a tarted-up, expensive Commodore!

KB1971 said :

screaming banshee said :

Look, a maroon coloured white commodore!

Fail, its a Satesman.

I still larfed 😀

KB1971 said :

screaming banshee said :

Look, a maroon coloured white commodore!

Fail, its a Satesman.

Ah, a Stateman – the choice of vehicle for the new bogues. I haven’t seen a Statesman driven responsibly since 1998, my guess this guy was going at speed for no reason other than ego.

screaming banshee said :

Look, a maroon coloured white commodore!

Fail, its a Satesman.

Hoooopefully next of kin have all been informed.
That’s a pretty recognisable vehicle for the photos to be on the net already.

some other force at play?

Hmm… 2 am, 2 young children, I’m thinking perhaps driver fatigue.

He must have been absolutely flying to do that much damage. Check out how twisted the body is by comparing the positions of the wheels.

Look, a maroon coloured white commodore!

JessP said :

And baby seat in the back that was – thankfully – empty.

Idiot.

So we have a poor child without a Dad. Idiot.

Two kids, by the looks.

It’s hard to tell from the pics posted here, but it appears as though the car must have careered across the grass from some distance. The absence of marking on the road surface tend to support this theory, along with some (just) visible marks in the grass on the first pic.

Would like to know more about this one. Of course, speed is a contributing factor in the impact, but was it a contributing factor in the driver losing control of the vehicle, or was there some other force at play?

And baby seat in the back that was – thankfully – empty. Idiot.

So we have a poor child without a Dad. Idiot.

Not surprised it killed him, power pole at speed on the noggin will do that.