Wheelchair Wild Ride

[Snowflake]

Yikes!

Mich. man in wheelchair takes wild ride

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A 21-year-old man got the ride of a lifetime when his electric wheelchair became lodged in the grille of a semitrailer and was pushed down a highway for several miles at about 50 mph.



Full Story Here (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070608/ap_on_fe_st/odd_wheelchair_truck_ride)

[Kevy Baby]

Since the man was not hurt, this is a very amusing story. Scary about what could have been. But taking that out of the equation, it makes for interesting visual.

[Gemini Cricket]

I'm still trying to figure out how he got lodged in that way if they were crossing in front of the truck...

Yes, it would have been a sad story had he died...

Several miles? No one saw him sooner? Are people who drive semi trucks just oblivious to everything?
:D

[Not Afraid]

Last night I got to hear the recordings of the 911 calls. Poor people! I'm sure they were traumatized. Ask CM for the link.

[SacTown Chronic]

That guy's a Pepper!

[Gemini Cricket]

That's another thing. I see lots of pictures of him in this position still stuck to the front of the truck. How long did he stay like that after the fact for photographers?

[SacTown Chronic]

He was a captive audience subject, so to speak.

[Kevy Baby]

Several miles? No one saw him sooner? Are people who drive semi trucks just oblivious to everything?
:DOn a semi truck, you would not be able to see someone (effectively) sitting right up against the grill of your truck. Also, one of the reports I read said that the driver was quite traumatized by this once the highway patrol (or police; whoever) was able to pull him over.

[Gemini Cricket]

So how do they know if someone is walking in front of them? Small kids, etc. They need mirrors...

[ozron]

Somehow this gives me "Naked Gun" flashbacks...

[Ponine]

So how do they know if someone is walking in front of them? Small kids, etc. They need mirrors...

And if you notice, on school buses, they have mirrors for just that purpose.
Also when trained, you are instructed how close to park to the bus in from of you at an after school pick up. So close that children/people cannot walk between buses.

Trucks... I dont know about. But buses I do.
In a larger bus, I can say that the drive would not be able to see someone right there without those mirrors.

I would imagine that a truck driver has the option to put those mirrors on the cab.

[~MS~]

One of my younger brothers is a long haul trucker and many of the newer ones actually have video cams on the front and back with monitors so they can see what is in their blind spots...it was like being in some weird control room...but that is odd how it caught his chair 'perfectly' to push into the grill like that...

[blueerica]

Yeah, I am wondering how he got lodged in that way. He'd have to have been going to same way the semi was to do that? Because otherwise, wouldn't he have been lodged on there sideways?

Hmm, weird.

[Kevy Baby]

I wonder if we would have heard about this case if the guy had been run over and killed?

[JWBear]

Yeah, I am wondering how he got lodged in that way. He'd have to have been going to same way the semi was to do that? Because otherwise, wouldn't he have been lodged on there sideways?

Hmm, weird.

It could be that a part of the chair on one side got caught, and momentum spun the chair around to face forward.

[€uroMeinke]

last night at Disneyland I found that I couldn't help when I saw a wheelchair, to imagine it and it's occupant being rocketed down a highway in front of a semi.

[CoasterMatt]

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6623359

This page has a link to the mp3 of the 911 calls - the Granny seems to be the most composed, helpful of the bunch.

[Capt Jack]

I wonder if that was some sort of land speed record for a wheelchair. he really should get something for that...beyond a change of shorts that is

[€uroMeinke]

Now everyone's goin to want to get one of these Semi-wheelchair combos

[CoasterMatt]

http://eastbound.ytmnd.com/

YEEEEHAW!!