News

February 20, 2012

Results of Braking Testing on Snow-Covered Asphalt Road Surfaces

We have up-loaded an article on the Articles page that summarizes our recent experiments with braking on snow-covered asphalt roadways. This research in timely in that many collisions have occurred in Southern Ontario recently where the issues of roadway maintenance and driver behaviour have been in the forefront. Driver loss of control or inability to avoid a collision due to the quality of the road surface has seen little attention in the news media in the past as it has been explained that the reason why collisions occur is primarily due to driver error. Our test results demonstrate that driver error is not always the correct explanation for some collisions.

Review of Evidence at Site of Fatal Head-On Collision on Plank Line (Hwy 19) North of Tillsonburg Ontario

We examined the site of the fatal collision that occurred on February 15th, 2012 on Plank Line (formerly Highway 19) just north of Tillsonburg, Ontario. Unfortunately we were tied up with other matters and were unable to present the results of our examination until now. An article on that site examination has been uploaded to the Articles page of the is website.

February 17, 2012

Glanworth Curve – Further Analysis of Debris Field at Accident Site

Unfavourable environmental conditions made it difficult for us to examine all the evidence with respect to the double fatal collision that occurred on the Glanworth Curve on the south edge of London, Ontario, Canada on February 17, 2012. We have prepared an article (uploaded to the Articles web page) that discusses this issue.

Frequently, investigators attend an accident site on only one occasion and their ability to detect and document evidence is affected by what is possible to be seen under that set of environmental conditions. We have recognized on many occusions that an investigation could have been better performed if investigators considered the role that environmental conditions might have on their perceptions and to return to the site on a different occasion to examine it under different conditions.

February 15, 2012

Two Fatal Collisions in Area in Just Over 24 Hours

A fatal collision on Wetmores Road south of Brantford has claimed the life a driver, Leslie John Dinsmore. The Brantford newspaper reported the collision site location incorrected as the actual location was further east than reported. Also, the vehicle struck a tree on the north side of the road, not the south side. While eastbound the SUV encountered a straight and flat surface that was in good condition. Tire marks leading up to the tree impact were at a sharp angle with respect to the road thus suggesting the vehicle was not travelling at high speed at that time. It is questionable why the vehicle struck the tree. A heavy deposit of salt still remained on the road surface making it questionable exactly when the salt was laid and for what purpose.

A second fatal collision occurred on Plank Line (Formerly known as the Provincial Highway 19) this morning, just north of the intersection with Airport Road. This location is just north of Tillsonburg. It is apparent that a northbound cube van may have strayed into the southbound lane and collided with the left front and side of a Coleman tractor-trailer. Gouges in the southbound lane provide clear evidence of the impact location. Both vehicles travelled off to the east shoulder following the impact. The driver of the Cube van suffered fatal injuries.

Further details on both these incidents may be provided shortly if time permits.

February 14, 2012

Glanworth Curve – Further Analysis Shortly

We are working on a further article on the Glanworth Curve double fatality that will be posted likely later today.

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 14TH, 2012; 2230 HOURS

We have now included another review of the fatal collision on the Glanworth Curve that occurred on February 11th, 2012, on the south edge of London, Ontario. This review has been uploaded to the Articles page of this website. The review is a critique of recent comments and conclusions made in the news media about the crash that killed a 15-month-old girl and a 38-year-old male passenger of an SUV which struck a tree. The issue of the road surface conditions at the time of the crash still needs to be evaluated but police have not made any comment in that regard up to this time. As indicated earlier, just in the few days and hours prior to this crash we were involved in road surface testing through the streets of London and to the north of London so we have relevant data regarding road surface conditons at various parts of the City as well as locations north of London. Because we were interested in studying the effects of snow-cover and ice on the safety of roads we were purposely looking for roads that might contain more problems and that is why we chose to conduct our tests north of the City where we expected that the snow squalls would be of greater intensity. We would not expect the snow squalls to be of the same or greater intensity at the Glanworth Curve. Therefore we await the official comments from the police investigation before providing a further critique, if necessary.

February 13, 2012

Further Evaluation of Double Fatal Tree Impact on Glanworth Curve in London, Ontario

As indicated yesterday, we attended the accident site on the Glanworth curve at which two persons lost their lives in a collision with a tree. Given that the police closed the site throughout the day on Saturday, February 11th, we were unable to examine it before darkness.

On Sunday morning, February 12th, we were engaged in some testing which was a continuation of testing we have been performing for several days now involving documentation of road surface conditions in London and the highways north of London. Part of that testing involved multiple video cameras that documented the road surface conditions. Another part of our testing involving hard braking on the snow covered surface to document the slipperiness of the surface. So, we were busy with our testing and could not get to the noted accident site on the Glanworth curve on Sunday morning.

However it was also unclear on Sunday morning that an actual collision had occurred on the Glanworth curve since no official news agency reported it except CTV News (TV). The CTV news report at 2300 hours simply reported the event as an injury collision. This did not jive with the inquiries we were received on our website with respect to a fatal collision involving children. But since it has been our experience that the official news agencies are fairly quick in reporting fatal collisions we had to come to the belief that perhaps the inquiries to our website were perhaps just rumours. It was not until Sunday morning that the London Free Press finally published an article that confirmed that a fatal collision occurred. We then attended the site on Sunday afternoon.

CTV News later reported (yesterday) that police did not inform them that the collision from the previous day was a fatal collision. That fact is rather peculiar. It has been our experience that when a fatal collision occurs the police do not withhold that fact. They may not release details but they would not withhold the fact that there was a fatality. Yet it is now obvious that a 38-year-old occupant of the noted SUV had died at the scene. So police should be been aware of that fatality shortly after 1300 hours on Saturday when it was reported that the actual collision occurred. But we are told that this information was not provided until the morning of the next day. We are puzzled why there was this delay.

We have also reviewed the latest comments made from the official news media that we feel are mis-information. For example the London Free Press news article authored by Dale Carruthers makes it appear that the weather conditions on Saturday were extreme and that these extreme conditions were the cause of the snow-covered and icy road conditions on the Glanworth curve. We disagree. We conducted our videotaped testing in the late hours of Friday, February 10th and past midnight so that testing was done into the early morning of Saturday, February 11th. We also conducted a further testing session on Saturday morning commencing about at about 0845 hours and this lasted to about 1030 hours, or just 2 1/2 hours before the crash on the Glanworth Curve. Our testing took us to both the east and west ends of London. We also conducted testing on major highways on the northern outskirts of London. At no time did we come to the conclusion that the roads in London (and north of London) were icy or particularly slippery. Yes, there was snow on the roads but it was loose and packed in some locations. The important factor of ice on the pavement was simply absent. We conducted numerous braking tests throughout the city that confirms this. Those tests are fully documented by video. So why was Glanworth curve both snow-coverd and icy when our testing demonstrated that no other road in our areas of travel in the City of London exhibited those conditions? Where did Mr. Carruthers of the London Free Press obtain his information that it was the extreme weather conditions that were the cause of this tragic collision on the Glanworth curve?

The LFP article also stated “The stretch of road (Glanworth curve) in the community at the south end of London is dangerous because vehicles travel at high speed on a wide curve”. Where did Mr. Carruthers obtain the facts that led him to conclude why the location was dangerous? We suggest that Mr. Carruthers does not have the data at hand to state that drivers speed through this curve any more than drivers speed through any other part of the City. We further suggest that the reason why the present fatal collision occurred and why another very serious collision occurred there just three weeks previous remain to be uncovered and that  the suggestion that the speed of vehicles and the width of the curve are the cause is providing mis-information about what might have caused these collisions.

The LFP article also refers to a snow squall as if that was the factor that caused this collision: ” London was under a snow squall watch from Environment Canada for most of the weekend, with squalls  finally moving through the city on Sunday morning and into the afternoon”. There are some small but important details in this quote. London was under a snow “watch” , not a “warning”. And the squalls “finally” moved in on Sunday morning – not on Saturday afternoon when the fatal collision occurred. So the road conditions cannot be blamed on a snow-squall that was not there.

We believe it is important to get the facts straight about what caused this fatal collision. The weather conditions were not extreme in  the London area a short time before the collision on the Glanworth curve. A unique situation could have existed on the Glanworth curve but we should not assume so. That fact should be documented in a police investigation. But it should not be left to a broad statement made by police investigators who provide no specific evidence. Police have a duty to document the roadway conditions at a fatal accident site as much as they have a duty to take a breath sample from a driver whose breath smells of alcohol. When they find evidence of a factor that might have led to a fatal collision they must document that fact whether that relates to someone’s speed, inattention, drug use or if it relates to an unreasonably, unsafe road surface condition.

February 12, 2012

Unusual Interest In Wellington Road Closure At Glanworth Curve

We experienced an unusal amount of interest on our website regarding the closure of Wellington Road at the Glanworth curve yesterday. London’s CTV News reported that a collision had occurred there but nothing that would explain the road closure. Road closures often occur in accident investigations where there has been a fatality or there are life-threatening injuries. Neither of those conditions were reported by CTV.

The London Free Press, which is often quick to report any news relating to serious motor vehicle accidents has not published any account nor have they even acknowledged that a road closure occurred.

The St. Thomas Times newspaper reported that the closure was due to weather conditions and not due to an specific accident. The road remained closed until after sunset yesterday therefore it would have been in-efficient for us to examine the site at that time to obtain an objective assessment. This morning a heavy snow squall likely passed through the area likely covering any evidence that might have been there.

In totality, we have not obtained any evidence to substantiate rumours that something unusual occurred yesterday at the Glanworth curve and unless we learn otherwise we will not comment further on this issue.

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 12, 2012; 1415 HOURS

It would appear that the rumours regarding a fatal collision on Glanworth Road were correct. The London Free Press has finally published a news article confirming that a 15-month-old girl and a man were both killed when their SUV hit a tree. We find it unusual that CTV News in London did not report these facts yesterday, only that injuries occurred, the St Thomas Times reported the road was closed due to poor road conditions, and it has taken this long for the London Free Press to mention anything at all.

The issue is that “roads were snow-covered and icy at the time of crash” as reported in the London Free Press. Well, how snow-covered and icy were they? Throughout Friday and Saturday we were driving our test vehicle through the streets of London and north of London and videotaping the road conditions and performing braking tests based on the instrumentation we discussed in our Articles page of this website. So we are very aware of what the road conditions were like in the area because we have detailed video and testing data. So how did the site on Glanworth compare? Will there be a release of that information?

This has been my point through many of my discussions on this website. The public has a right to know what the road conditions were like and, if they were icy and snow-covered why were they so?

We will now examine the site but given the snowfall in the area that portion of the evidence will not be useful. The location of the impact and other details will likely be revealing however. Note that it was not too long ago that we documented a loss of control collision with a tree at that curve and likely not far from where this fatal collision occurred.

Standby for more details.

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 12, 2012; 1635 HOURS

We have now examined the collision site of the noted double fatality on Glanworth curve, south of London, Ontario. The vehicle in question slipped off the right portion of the curve and into a tree. This circumstance is very similar to another serious collision that occurred on January 22, 2012 only about 200 metres further into the curve. At that time we commented on the freezing of the lane as a likely contributor to the crash. The current collision leads us to believe the accident may have occurred from a similar cause. For reference you can examine our original posting of January 22nd, 2012 as we have re-created it as a separate article in the Articles section of this website. We will post some photos of the present collision, likely in a separate article shortly, however as we indicated, it appears to us that the same icy road condition may have been involved as the collision of January 22, 2012.

We reiterate however that it must be required that police conduct a proper investigation of this matter and provide a full explanation of the road surface conditions with an explanation of what investigations they conducted to determine whether the conditions were unavoidable.

February 10, 2012

When, Where and Why Slippery Roads Occur – Some Objective Testing at Gorski Consulting

We have uploaded an article summarizing some of the exploratory testing we are conducting with multiple video cameras to document the surface conditions of roads in our area. Testing in ongoing and we will be discussing the results in upcoming articles.

Developing Story: SIU Investigating Collision on Highway 4 on the Northern Outskirts of Lucan, Ontario

We appreciate the public’s interest however we have no information about the status of the SIU involvement in the incident on Highway 4 just north of Lucan. A crash has been reported from this morning but police have closed down the area. Unfortunately, with the appoach of snowfall, evidence could be lost, but that is reality. We all hope to hear further details through the regular media channels and once the roadway opens, likely tomorrow, we may examine the site.

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 11, 2011; 1840 HOURS

Due to the amount of snow that has fallen in the area we do not believe it would be efficient to examine this site as any evidence would likely be destroyed or altered by that snowfall and the maintenance activity related to the snow fall.

Although the collision is reported as a rollover a photograph of the vehicle suggests that the left front wheel has been pushed rearwards into wheelwell, there is direct contact damage to the rear and there is almost no damage to the roof area. The sum of these observations suggests that the event is not a typical rollover. That is all that can be said at this time.

February 9, 2012

Coatsworth Road Fatal Collision

We apologize for our further delay in uploading our article on the double fatal collision on Coatsworth road but it is longer than we had expected. The first part of the article will be uploaded in the next few minutes (approximately 1245 hours).

February 8, 2012

Further Details About Double Fatal Collision On Coatsworth Road

It is apparent from examining visitors to our website that there is interest in further details about the double fatal collision that occurred on Coatsworth Road, south of Tilbury Ontario a few days ago. Unfortunately we are temporarily tied up with other cases and have not had a chance to prepare an article (with photos) on our website. We can only ask for the visitors’ patience and we will attempt to upload such an article in the Articles page of our website later this evening.

February 6, 2012

Eleven Fatalities At Hampstead Ontario Crash

In 1976 Ontario enacted manditory seat-belt use laws. Shortly there-after on Governors Road west of Woodstock Ontario, 6 seat-belted persons were fatally injured in an Oldsmobile while 3 unrestrained persons in a Chevrolet Impala survived. This became the beginning of a difficult sell for seat-belt use. Persons began saying that seat-belts kill.

Well, Hampstead may come back to haunt us again. Seat-belts can and do kill when they are not worn properly. That message has never been spelt out properly. In winter-time, when you wear heavy clothing the seat-belt that you wear across your pelvic, iliac crests slips upward onto the soft abdomen where there is no protection from the impact force. The seat-belt can basicly cut through you until it meets the spine on your back. Slack in a seat-belt is a very dangerous thing. Wearing heavy winter clothing causes  the belt to be placed a long distance from your body and it should never be there. We have not heard the term “submarine” in quite a long time, but that is what happens to your body in relation to a lap belt with slack, it submarines or goes underneath the belt, or in other words, the belt slips onto your soft abdomen where it should not reside.

Whether this is part of the mechanism that has killed some of the 1o occupants of the westbound van or not is not the issue. Slack in seat-belts is something that needs to be discussed. But as we have said a lot in the last few years on this website, much of the discussion is not held and we continue to talk about the mistakes without correcting them.

Today’s incident will truly be remembered as a great tragedy as the news slowly develops…

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 7, 2012, 1650 HOURS

Having now had a chance to examine the site evidence and further views of the van it would appear that the van was struck in the right side and the extent of the side intrusion is not fully indicated by the available photos. We can indicate that there were no pre-impact tire marks from either vehicle. There is also the possibility of a sight obstruction by trees located at the north-east quadrant of the intersection. Even though a driver has a stop sign a “visibility triangle” is required of open view between drivers so that, if a driver fails to stop for a stop sign the driver on the main road will still have about 3 seconds to avoid the collision. Although we have not taken any specific measurements at this time the existence of the trees could be an issue.

The van may have been equipped with an event data recorder and if so there  could be some useful data that could provide objective evidence about how this accident occurred. We will await further news before providing you with our photos taken from the site. Stay tuned…

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 7, 2012: 1830 HOURS

We are not impressed with the early turn of events that surrounds this crash. News media are interviewing various police and emergency responders where the indications are that the damage to the van is very severe and that the three survivors are lucky to be alive. No such thing. Although this is a collision where fatalities could be expected it is questionable why 10 of the 13 persons occupying the van perished.

Persons on officical news outlets are blaming 15-passenger vans. That is just not so. Survival in a 15-passenger van could be improved if this meant that certain occupants were a fair distance away from the point of intrusion. We must remember that rapid change-in-velocity is what causes injury and persons seated in various portions of the van can experience significantly different change-in-velocity than that experienced at the centre-of-gravity of a vehicle.

The objective evidence that should be revealed regarding the collision is the extent of crush and where it was located on the van, who was wearing seat-belts and specifially how the injuries came about and caused the deaths. It is questionable why this many persons should perish in one vehicle when there should have been areas of the vehicle where intrusion was not a major factor. So we suggest that you do not believe everything you hear if you do not understand what is being told to you.

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 8, 2012; 0815 HOURS

It s being reported that the GMC Savana van transporting the migrant workers was supposed to be travelling back home to Kitchener where the workers lived. This is peculiar since the westbound van should have attempted a left turn to travel southbound on Perth Road 107. Instead, the gouges at the area of impact were located in the southbound lane of Perth Road 107 and their north/south orientation with respect to the cross road would indicate that the van was in a position consistent with travelling westbound through the intersection. Maybe it is time to view some images…

Below is a view of the accident site looking north along Perth Road 107. The Fulton truck would have been coming down the hill toward the camera. In the foreground you should recognize the typical evidence of an intersection collision by way of the gouges, tire marks and fluid spills. Note that this evidence is lined up, generally, the southbound lane. So there is little evidence that Mr. Fulton was able to change the direction of his truck upon impact.

Next, we can look at those same gouges, etc. but from the west looking east as seen in the photo below.

Again, the gouges and other evidenced lines up with the crossroad. If the Van was intending to make a left turn then it would have been in a substantially further position toward the south by the time in reached the southbound lane of Perth Road 107. But that is not the case. This positioning is consistent with the van travelling straight toward the camera or straight through the intersection westward.

So why is the van westbound when it does not make sense if it is supposed to be travelling to Kitchener?

As I indicated earlier, both of the above photos show that there is no evidence of pre-crash braking by either driver.

Some have speculated that, due to the sunny sky and the time of day, the driver of the van may have been blinded by that sun and this is why he passed through the stop sign (By the way it has not been established yet whether the van passsed through the stop sign without stopping). While the sun might have been a factor certainly it is unlikely that the sun was anywhere behind the stop sign as shown in the photo below.

As can be seen in the above photo, the background behind the stop sign is made up of a group of trees. So, certainly the sun would not have been directly behind the stop sign. There is a possibility that the driver travelling through a sun-lit road and the stop sign was in shadow thus making it more difficult to detect but there is no information or analysis to determine if something like that existed. For the moment we would have to conclude that the sun was likely not a major issue here.

We reiterate that a GMC Savana van would have been equipped with an event data recorder (“black box”) and this would likely contain pre-crash data for at least five seconds before impact. Data from the EDR would indicate the speed of  the vehicle, engine RPMs, percent throttle and brake application. These specific parameters would shed great light on what occurred.

We must also stress the importance of vehicle crashworthiness and the question of how this van stood up to the impact forces. Certainly there has been concern expressed by us in the past that larger commerical carriers of passengers are not crash tested and there has been obvious evidence in previous crashes where outside objects have penetrated into the interior of such vehicles. So this crashworthiness issue also needs to be evaluated.

February 5, 2012

Site of Crash & Fire on Coatsworth Road South of Tilbury Ontario

Two persons are reported dead in a fiery crash that occurred on Coatsworth Road, south of Tilbury, Ontario on just after midnight on February 5, 2012. A three person who managed to exit the vehicle was transported to Hospital in London, Ontario.

The crash involved a single vehicle at an “S” curve at the junction with Herman Line. Photos of the site appear to show a significant drop off between the paved asphalt and gravel shoulder.

Incidents of fire occurring during a collision should receive more detailed investigation since there are safety standards in existence to prevent such fires. The occurrence of a fire could indicate a safety-related problem with a vehicle and could lead to a safety recall. In a very large number of incidents however police are not focused on motor vehicle safety standards and in many cases will not  have heard of a fire prevention standard. Details of what transpired are still unknown as police are reportedly still investigating.

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 7, 2012: 2240 HOURS

We would have updated this story earlier but we have been tied up with trial appearances and our own file work. Of course another very severe collision occurred in Hampstead which we felt important to attend the site.

In the meantime, we can indicate that we examined the site on Coatsworth Road. We appreciate that there might have been fog in the area at the time of the crash. The intriguing fact is that  the vehicle seemed to begin rotating before it reached the curve. Let Us explain.

Loss of control rotation usually occurs because someone is travelling too quickly around a curve. The force demanded by the tires at that high speed becomes too large for the interface available between the tire and road surface. So the tires begin to “slide out” and rotation occurs. This is explainable when the vehicle has entered into a reasonably sharp curve (small radius curve) but it is difficult to explain why a vehicle would begin such rotation before it reaches such a curve.

We prepared some video which might shed some light on the issue and this could possible put on You-Tube. But time is at a premium and we have file work to attend to.

To put this simply: things are complicated in a loss of control situation. What you think should happen does not always occur or the cause is somewhere else. In this case there is actually a deep edge drop off on the other side of the road from where this vehicle began a loss of control. Sure, many things could happen. But if a vehicle went off that deep drop off and then interferred with the subject vehicle we may have a loss of control evasive action before the curve due to the interference of another vehicle that simply vanishes and is never revealed. This is one of many possibilities but we notice that police are still “investigating” and holding their cards to their chest. We wonder if they too found it unusual that the driver lost directional control before reaching the curve. Perhaps a statement will be made by police… and perhaps not.

February 3, 2012

Research of ABS Braking Tire Mark Characteristics on Snow-Covered Asphalt Roads

In continuation of our research into evidence that may be used in scientific analysis of motor vehicle crashes we have up-loaded an article on our Articles page regarding our recent brake testing on snow-covered asphalt roads. The tests have found decleration rates of about 0.2 g for most tests where there was about 1 to 2 inches of snow covers the pavement. That deceleration rate dropped to about 0.16 g when we tested a road where initial plowing packed the snow and then a subsequent fresh layer of 1 to 2 inches of snow covered the harder snow surface. This could suggest that, maintenance activities that only pack down the snow on a road could cause more problems when a fresh layer of snow falls on top of that packed snow. Although the reason for the results is not known it could be that the loose snow acts similar to ball bearings on the harder surface. We will be continuing to conduct further research and discuss it here as well as in our Articles pages of this website.

January 27, 2012

Reports of Extremely Icy Road Surfaces Up To 0900 Hours This Morning In London, Ontario

Rush hour was reportedly extremely hazardous in London, Ontario this morning, January 27th, as most roads contained a covering that looked like slush but underneath there was an extremely icy condition. Reports of numerous collisions  have been noted throughout the City. As typical there is no information, nor is there likely be to any information, about what actions were taken by roadway maintenance personnel to anticepate this condition. Whether these actions were proper or not, they should be made available to the general public as this is a very important issue affecting the safety of all drivers.

UPDATE: January 28, 2012; 0900 Hours

A City of London roads maintenance spokesperson was interviewed by news media yesterday and he indicated that 25 vehicles (either plows or salters/sanders) left their yard at 0500 hours. Yet, information from drivers travelling on Oxford Street indicated that the most of the length of this major arterial roadway was extremely icy.

It is this kind of seemingly contradictory information that needs to be cleared up. Oxford Street should be one of the first roadways in London to receive treatment because of its high volume of traffic. Yet, 3 to 4 hours after 25 vehicles leave the maintenance yard the road is observed not to have received any form of treatment for the ice that developed. If there is a reasonable explanation for this occurrence it is not being provided through news media who do not seem to be asking the appropriate questions. Why was Oxford Street so icy if it had been treated to prevent ice build up? If the roads department performed the treatment yet the roads still developed this extremely icy condition then this is important news that the public should be made aware of because there is an understanding by the public that treatment should be sufficient to take care of such a hazardous condition.

Cyclist Fatality South of Brantford, Ontario

It is reported that a 60-year-old man sustained fatal injuries as a result of a collision on on Cockshutt Road (Brant County Road 4) between River Raod and Brant County Road 18 at approximately 1830 hours on January 26th, 2012. The collision involved a northbound 1999 Volkswagen. The police investigation is still on-going.

Such events are more common due to the unusually  warm January weather which has left normally snow-covered roadsides bare thus making bicycle travel possible. It was raining last evening through most of Southern Ontario and this mix of darkness and precipitation is a dangerous scenario for bicycle travel.

On rural roadways where speed limits of 80 to 90 km/h are exceeded, on average, by over 10 km/h, that average speed results in a vehicle motion of over 25 metres per second. Normal low-beam illumination is not good enough to illuminate objects that are beyond 50 metres ahead of a vehicle.  Given that a driver’s detection, identification and reaction can easily take 2 seconds an impact could occur before a driver is able to effectively steer or brake to avoid a collision. Also a rider’s clothing can often by of similar reflectance (luminance) to the dark background of an asphalt roadway making detection more difficult. Although high beam use is preferable that is not always possible or remembered by a driver. Thus low illumination makes it difficult for drivers to see cyclists on rural roads in time to avoid a serious accident.

A cyclist can help the situation by wearing florescent materials and using some form of head/rear lamp. Unfortunately, the type of cyclist who is out on a rainy January evening is unlikely to be there through their wealthy pleasure but likely through low-income necessity. Thus the opportunity to purchase proper clothing and illumination becomes less. As our society’s middle class shrinks and more and more persons are forced to use economical cycling as a necessity instances of travel in poor weather conditions are not likely to lessen.

UPDATE: January 28, 2012; 0900 Hours

The deceased cyclist has been identified as Alan Derasp, 60. He was known to ride the roadsides and collect cans and bottles. Commenters and witnesses said he often carried bags with him, sometimes dropped his bike on the shoulder, sometimes wore dark clothing and did not have a light on his bike. He had been struck approximately a year earlier at the Cockshutt Bridge.

January 25, 2012

Release of Most Collision-Prone Intersections Continues To Mis-Lead London Drivers

Every year we continue to criticize the City of London, City Police and local news outlets that continue to release a list of the ten “Most Dangerous” intersections in the City. Granted, the most recent release has changed the tone to “most collision prone” intersections but the meaning left in the eyes of London drivers is still the same. It informs the public that they must be more careful at these intersections than others and that is simply wrong.

It is reminisent of the publicity surrounding Highway 401 in the 198os when there was a rash of median-cross-over fatalities before a permanent concrete barrier was installed. News media hype of each collision caused many drivers to avoid driving on Highway 401 simply because they believed it was less save than driving on a two-lane rural highway such as Highway 2 which ran parallel to the 401. These decisions were deadly. Despite the median crossovers if anyone in the know had been contacted they would have informed the public that Highway 401 was much safer than a two-lane rural highway such as Highway 2.

The latest release indicates the following (with number of collisions in 2011 in brackets).

1. Wonderland Rd & Oxford St. (47)

2. Highbury Ave & Oxford St.  (44)

3. Wellington Rd and Commissioners Rd (40)

4. Exeter Rd & Wellington Rd (38)

5. Adelaide St. & Oxford St. (36)

6. Commissioners Rd. and Wharncliffe Rd. (35)

7. Hamilton Rd. & Highbury Ave. (34)

8. Sarnia Rd. & Wonderland Rd. (34)

9. Fanshawe Rd. and Richmond St. (32)

10. Oxford St. and Wharncliffe Rd (31)

Since Oxford Street has been named in four of the ten intersections maybe drivers will stop driving on Oxford and head into the low volume streets where they will race through and collide with children, parked cars and themselves. But would it not make sense that, because Oxford Street is a main arterial road travelling through London that the higher traffic volumes might have something to do with it? And there could be so many other factors.

It is not that we are against providing information to the public about where collisions occur. It is the direct opposite. We encourage more and more information. But that is exactly the problem here. Numbers of collisions are reported but there is a lack of information about why they occurred, or how they occurred, or what severity of impact was involved, and so on. The public has no idea what is important and what to look out for.

And for this reason we continue to criticize those who should know better than to mis-lead the public.

January 23, 2012

Lack of Attention to Road Paint Removal Leads to Double Stop Bar for Westbound Traffic on Sunningdale Road in London, Ontario

We noted this week that London’s road crews have left behind an interesting ( and confusing to drivers) set of road paint markings on westbound Sunningdale Road at Adelaide Street in North London, Ontario. Note the photo below showing the existence of a double stop bar, one of which exists within the pedestrian crossing lines.

Judging by the results of the photo below perhaps the driver has taken a conservative approach by stopping half the distance between the two stop bars and thus reasoning that he has “half complied” with both required stops?

Well, no. There is little pedestrian traffic in this area and most drivers will apply common sense and not enter the pedestrian crossing zone. But courtroom lawyers have been known to argue that their client was confused and therefore stuck the pedestrian resulting in catastrophic injuries resulting in partial fault and a large claim against a City. These are the kinds of minor problems that a City must pay attention to if it wants to reduce its exposure to civil suits.

Can A Municipality Legally Reject Its Duty To Repair Roads?

When road repair was a provincial responsibility individual municipalities could not simply stop supplying their road works departments with sufficient money to maintain roads. But has that now changed?

It is reported that the City of Waterloo has decided not to increase taxes despite a $250 million backlog in repairs to roads and buildings. With respect to roads, a backlog of $170 million in repairs is awaiting municipal funding but that funding has been voted down. According the the Kitchener Record newspaper counselors such as Scott Witmer have stated “I don’t feel my car going to fall into an abyss. To have beautiful black asphalt  on every road in the city, its not attainable”.

This should be freightening to anyone who understands roadway safety. Standards have been developed not to make roads look “pretty” but to protect the public from injury and death. These standards have not been developed out of the blue but have evolved over decades of scientific research and testing. Yet a city council that may not understand the reasoning for maintaining roads to proper standards can simply eliminate the problem with a simple wisk of the magic wand.

What ends up happening is that collisions fall into the hands of plaintiff lawyers who are more than happy to take everything the city wants to give up. And a road that is not in compliance to standards that are universally acknowledged is a simple decision for a judge to make – if that judge can be relied upon to do his/her job in an ethical manner. The result is that the city is sued for a large amount and then that City joins other muncipalities to try to curb the swell of ever-increasing judgments against them. And the vicious circle spins like a dog chasing its tail.

We understood many years ago that roadway maintenance and improvement was a provincial responsibility and there was a very important reason for that. All one needs to do is look at the City of Waterloo decision to understand that, when money becomes tight, elected officials will succumb to the pressures of local groups and fail to do what is right. Under provincial jurisdiction it did not matter what local pressures were involved – there was a standard level of roadway maintenance that had to be upheld whether the roadway was in Thunder Bay, Prescott or Windsor. And there was a scientifically established reason for maintaining our roads  to common standards throughout North America. We will painfully discover that reality as time carries on and more roads are left in disrepair.

January 22, 2012

Fleeing Police On Glanworth Curve Likely Involved Ice and Loss of Control Impact Into Tree

While the driver of a GM car struck a tree while fleeing police yesterday evening, the reason for the loss of control of the vehicle was not only speed, but also some melt down that froze in the northbound lane.

The view below shows the north end of the Glanworth curve of Wellington Road at the south edge of London, Ontario.

 

The left curve contains a significant superelevation to help drivers travel around the bend. But in creating the superelevation there is always a concern that melting snow and ice will slide onto the travel lane and then freeze in colder conditions. Looking at the present conditions in this photo that was taken just before noon on January 22nd, 2012, we can see how the ice and snow on the south (right) side of the curve is melting and then the water is flowing onto the northbound lane. These are similar conditions to what occurred yesterday when the sun was out and providing ideal melting conditions.

The actual collision occurred around 2120 hours. But previous to that, the sun had gone down and the moisture that was present likely began to freeze. When you add a little speed to the mix bad things happen.

Below is a closer view, looking north, showing the curve just before the location where the vehicle travelled off  the roadway and struck a tree on the right roadside.

We would be less inclined to focus on this issue if the vehicle had performed a typical, yawing motion before leaving the roadway. Instead the tire marks suggest that the vehicle may have left the roadway while sliding almost rearwards and that is not a common scenario.

The photo below shows the location just south of where the fleeing vehicle left the roadway. The impacted tree is located just to the left of the evergreen tree in the background.

Below is a view at the commencement of the tire marks of the fleeing vehicle as it left the roadway and struck a tree in the background (just to the left of the evergreen).

What you should recognize from these tire marks is that there is little evidence of rotation of the vehicle about its vertical axis, or there is minimal evidence of yaw. Sometimes such little evidence of yaw may signify a very high speed. But regardless, the other important point is that the vehicle was likely sliding almost backwards as it left the road and produced these tire marks.

Below is a further view of the tire marks and you should now be able to recognize the tree where the impact occurred. Note how the tire marks are not crossing each other or diverging or converging. So the vehicle is essentially sliding rearwards into the tree with little rotation. The reason for the short discontinuity in the tire marks is because the vehicle has travelledd over short down-slope so it was momentarily airborne.

The photo below shows how the tire marks continue to be straight as they approach the tree impact.

Below is a view of the damage caused to the struck tree.  By examining the damage, as well as the particles that are imbedded in it, it is possible to obtain further information about how the impact occcurred. This why we state that the vehicle probably struck the tree at least partially with its rear surface. There is also evidence that there was penetration into the occupant compartment and thus intrusion, possibly into the area where the driver was seated.

The unusual circumstance in this case is that the vehicle exited the roadway while leading partially with its rear end. This is not typical and suggests excessive rotation of the vehicle while it was still on the road. Noting its path with respect to the curve and combining the fact that it did not appear to go around the curve, along with the evidence of moisture and likely freezing in darkness, there is a strong likelihood that icing on the road suface was a factor in this crash. It is still unknown what roll the police played in this happening and whether police were present in this location when the fleeing vehicle approached. Thus there is a limit to what we can say about how this collision unfolded without having examined the vehicle and without knowledge of what other vehicles (including police vehicles) were in the area when the vehicle left the roadway.

We have uncovered further information but have decided to stop at this time to evaluate what further facts may be revealed through the police or the SIU. One must understand that interpretation of site evidence like this has its difficulties without a full knowledge of the investigation details.

UPDATE: JANUARY 24, 2012

Having had a chance to review our photos of the damaged parts and material imbedded in the struck tree, the conclusion regarding how the vehicle was oriented at the tree impact may be suspect. Our evaluation can only be based on the physical evidence at the site and that physical evidence shows a set of tire marks with essentially no evidence of pre-impact Yaw. The vehicle is simply sliding, albeit while off-tracking slightly. In the general condition we would expect the vehicle to come into impact leading with its front end. What has led us to believe it came into contact with its rear end is the evidence of damaged parts lying around the tree and beyond. Let us look at another photo below.

When we see red lens material, such as shown in the above photo, and it is concentrated in small particles like it is, then it commonly suggests that the rear tail-light was in contact with the tree. Other debris from the rear of the vehicle also suggests to us that there was damage to the rear of the vehicle, hence our reasoning for the vehicle orientation.

However this is a peculiar and uncommon happening. Granted there is reason for us to believe that this uncommon happening would occur if there was ice in the northbound lane of Wellington Road and this caused the vehicle to rotate backwards while still on the road.  But there can be many influences involved that we cannot be aware of and it requires a full examination of all the evidence that may be on the vehicle as well as any witness or driver statements.

We want to add further that, an impact of a tree by the rear end of a vehicle makes it difficult for penetration and intrusion to occur into the occupant compartment simply because there is so much structure to get through before reaching that occupant compartment. Yet we see that there is evidence of glass imbedded in the tree which is very commonly associated with penetration into the occupant compartment. Note the imbedded glass in the photo below.

Additionally, there is also orange lens material clinging to the bark and that is more associated with impact of the front end of the vehicle. In the photo below is a close-up view of that orange lens material.

So this contradictory evidence exists. The problem would be easily solved by someone who saw the damaged vehicle but when you are working solely from site evidence the process is a little more challenging. But regardless of the vehicle’s orientation, the issue of an icy road surface would still exist and either vehicle orientation could be caused by as an icy road.

January 20, 2012

Deadly Highways 401 and 402 Are Not All Drivers’ Fault When Road Surface Becomes Icy

 

With the lastest multiple collisions and fatalities causing closures of two of the major controlled-access highways in southern Ontario the events have spawned the standard reactions of emergency personnel and the public about “stupid” drivers and similar vulgarities. While driver error is a major factor that must be addressed, these ignorant comments are just that, ignorant; because these persons truly mis-understand the issue.

On a snow-covered road, or partially snow-covered road, the co-efficient of friction that provides the force to change the motion of your vehicle could be as high as 0.5 to 0.7 g depending on whether traffic has moved some of the snow out of the way and created paths of bare pavement. In such environments it would not be unreasonable to travel 80 km/h when we have video-taped proof that the average speed on Highway 401 in good road conditions is in the range of 115 to 117 km/h. The stopping distance, never mind the distance needed to detect and recognize, would mean that you could stop a passenger car in a distance of about 40 to 50 metres on such a road surface.

But when a road surface becomes icy that co-efficient of friction can drop to 0.1 g or lower. If drivers cannot detect that a roadway ahead has become icy then that speed of 80 km/h becomes deadly. Suddenly, that stopping distance of 40 to 50 metres cataputs to a distance of over 250 metres. While many of these supposed experts state that the driver should drive according to roadway conditions, leaving a gap of 250 metres (820 feet) between every vehicle on busy super-highways like the 401 and 402 is simply never going to happen.

The point is that, while driver speed and behavior are a problem, they are not the only problems and making derogatory comments about the stupidity of the driving population will never lead to a solution, it will only lead to the demonstration of the stupidity of the so-called experts. When a road surface suddenly becomes icy no one can react acceptably to the condition, regardless of one’s experience. Expertise can only minimize the consequences of a crash, but a crash will happen. Those who proclaim their superiority by avoiding a crash are simply lucky participants in a game of russian roulet. The expert who claims he or she can steer their vehicle away from trouble on an icy road surface is simply a snake oil salesperson who is enjoying their moment in front of a camera while providing no useful help to the public. Sooner or later that expert will be caught in an unexpected situation and their panic reaction will be very little different than anyone of us.

The question that no one asks in these circumstances is what actions were taken by roadway maintenance personnel to foresee that an icy road condition might develop. We never see the TV or newspaper reporter’s interview at the local road maintenance department where the supervisor pulls out a detailed listing of all the actions that were taken and at what times. That kind of detail is kept secret. But it is a vitally important issue that the public must be made aware whether certain roadways have not been taken care of, long before it is too late. If roadway maintenance personnel have not had a chance to thoroughly deal with the potential development of an icy road surface then that information should flashed, at interent speed, to every member of the public. Because this does not occur there could be 20 to 40,000 vehicles a day that may be affected at every section of highways such as the 401 and 402 and the price is what was witnessed yesterday.

The availability of detailed information about roadway maintenance should be an absolute requirement.

January 18, 2012

Tow Truck Driver Fatality In Windsor Ontario Raises Complaints Over Towing Safety and Identity of Accused

Paul Rocheleau, 49, of LaSalle, Ontario was the tow truck driver who was killed January 17, 2012 while attempting to change a tire of Dave Matteis’ car on Highway 3 in Windsor, Ontario. The incident has prompted several tow truck operators to complain that their lives appear to be less important that police and fire personnel who work in similarly dangerous conditions but who are protected by a law requiring drivers to pull into another lane away from a stopped emergency vehicle.

The identity of the London man who drove his Mercedes into Rocheleau has not been released which prompted a commentor to reveal that it was the husband of a London city councelor who is also an instructor at the University of Western Ontario’s Ivey Business School. The commentator opined that the identity of the driver was not released due to his, and his wife’s, prominent positions.

These comments raise legitmate concerns, but too often that is not the case. The true nature of our society is revealed during these times when commentors, who do not have to leave any identifiable name with their comments, vent their anger and hostility, warranted or not, upon individuals, organizations, laws or whatever, irrespective of whether their comments are rude, inconsiderate or worse. This is not a judgment on society but simply an acknowledgment that, we are not always as pretty as we pretend to be.

Solar Panels In Unsafe Location of Sebringville OPP Property Demonstrate How Police Are Focused on a Narrow Range of Road Safety Issues

We have often commented on this website about the lack of recognition and focus that unsafe roadway infrastructure and maintenance is a significant causal factor in many collisions. Official news agencies continually report on the issues of speeding, alcohol use and inattention of drivers, like they should because these are very important. However when unsafe roadway design, maintenance, signage, lighting or similar issues exist these factors are essentially ignored. We have attempted to focus the public’s attention on the fact that police do not appear to act as the independent evaluators of causal factors like they should and that they frequently ignore, or do not reveal roadway safety factors in the proper way that they should.

The problem is exemplified in a news story of today from Sebringville, Ontario where the local OPP Detachment had a number of large solar panels placed on their property adjacent to Highway 8 which is the main highway that passes through the town. These solar panels were placed too close to the highway and it is revealing that no one from the OPP Detachment made any notice of the fact.

How the error was found and by whom is somewhat mirky. It is reported that Ontario Ministry of Transportation staff noticed the problem about “two months” after either the project was started or completed; that fact is not clear. According to a London Free Press article the Municipality of Perth East “contacted the ministry to advise of the solar panel installation” but whether the Muncipality accomplained or simply commented about the beauty of the structures in not clear. The error caused the panels to be positioned as little as 1.5 metres set back “from the road” and that this set back was in compliance with “municipal road standards, not to those for a provincial highway”.

Having some experience in evaluating roadway safety issues it is with concern that we read that the set back of such large, immovable barriers to motion would be allowed under municipal road standards and why that would be so. Municipalities in Ontario have recently been given the authority to manage their own affairs in preparing their own stardards for roadway safety without the general public’s awareness. As police forces are often paid by these municipalities, conflicts of interest should be a large red flag waving in the public’s face, but it is not.

It is noted that the OPP at Sebringville appeared to watch passively as these as large structures became planned and then were erected. But there is no word that any OPP officer or official made the observation that this installation was unsafe. Now this is a single incident but it reflects what exists throughout the Province of Ontario. What guarantee does the public have, that when an unsafe roadway problem exists and that problem has influenced whether collision occur that the OPP, or any police force, will understand and identify the problem? Apparently there are laws that prevent persons from driving unsafe vehicles. There are are laws against driving drunk or being distracted. But what laws exist that would fine an agency for knowingly causing an unsafe roadway design or maintenance to exist? The answer is simple, there is no such law. Police are not trained to understand what constitutes an unsafe roadway condition. It is also our belief that police are even discouraged from reported roadway safety problems.

We know this from first hand experience. Recently we attempted to document a local roadway problem. Instead we were visited by local police and threatened with a charge that our videotaping on the road could be interpreted as stalking drivers. The local police officer acknowledged that the roadway problem existed but stated to us that if he complained that no one would listen. The local police then refused to report the unsafe roadway problem. Yet, several months later the roadway problem was suddenly repaired. Is this the proper functioning of a police force?

While the story about these solar panels would appear to be a small and innocous affair, beneath it there lies a greater problem.

January 17, 2012

Trailer Illegally Parked in Heavy Traffic A Very Bad Idea

Yes, there are always some surprizes when it comes to any individual’s logic. However this morning there was a demonstration of particularly bad logic on Clarke Road, near Culver Drive in north-east London, Ontario.

Clarke Road is a major arterial roadway in north-east London. On this dark and rainy day someone decided to park their unlit, non-relectorized and black trailer in the curb lane of the road as shown in the photo below.

Note  that the trailer is so low that it cannot be seen above the height of a typical passenger car. No reflective materials are on the trailer. It is black in colour. This is a rainy day with low contrast. Everything about this scenario spells a disaster just waiting to happen.

As can be seen in the photo above, drivers often travel in the blocked lane while they wait for an opportunity to change lanes to pass the trailer. When a vehicle changes lanes while too close to the trailer it means that drivers travelling behind that leading vehicle will not have a view of the parked trailer until the very last instant. This is a common occurrence in many collisions. But placement of such a trailer on this roadway in these weather conditions is simply dumber than dumb.

January 16, 2012

Driver of Single Vehicle Loss-of-Control Collision On Norwich Road Air Lifted to Hospital

A single vehicle collision involving an eastbound 1993 Mercury Marquis occurred on Norwich Road, west of Pick Line on Sunday, January 15, 2012 at approximately 112o hours. The driver was air lifted to hospital however his identify and status of his injuries are not yet known.

The evidence at the site was spread out over a very long distance of almost 300 metres. Much of that evidence was in the form of tire marks indicating that the eastbound Marquis appeared to drift, at a shallow angle, onto the north shoulder where it remained for a distance of about 22o metres, or well over the length of two football fields. During this travel the right side of the vehicle glanced off a telephone junction box near the north edge of the shoulder. The Marquis then commenced a sharper angled motion towards the ditch where its right front end stuck a culvert which crossed underneath a driveway. This impact sent the vehicle into the air and commenced a lateral tumble into a corn field. The vehicle travelled a distance about 130 metres during this tumbling and then came to rest on its roof. Evidence at the site would suggest that the male driver was partially ejected from the vehicle and may have been partially pinned beneath it.

It is not known what caused the events but the poor condition of the vehicle’s rusted suspension should be one of many possibilities. The condition of the road itself does not appear to be a factor although it is not yet known whether road surface conditions such as snow or ice may have played a role. Evidence of markings from a snowmobile and a possible motorized bicycle that crossed the road are also possibilities however it is not known whether these vehicles crossed the roadway at around the same time as the approach of the Marquis. The hoof prints of a horse that existed both on the north and south shoulders of the road also cannot be discounted as being unrelated at this time.

Unusual acceleration marks in the snow along the north shoulder were also present and these crossed over the tire marks caused by the Marquis. Although these acceleration marks were created after the tire marks of the Marquis the timing between the creation of the markings is unknown. Certainly many emergency vehicles travel in the area of a shoulder so the existance of tire marks is not particularly unusual. What is unusual is that the tire marks suggested that a vehicle was accelerating and changing direction back and forth on the shoulder for a long distance along the same path as the tire marks caused by the Marquis. It would be unusual for a police cruiser to cause such markings as this might destroy potentially valuable evidence. Fire and ambulance vehicles also would not engage in such actions so far away from where the vehicle  came to rest.

The photo below shows the evidence at the beginning of the tire marks of the Marquis as it left the roadway and drifted onto the north shoulder. The black car in the distant background is where the vehicle struck a culvert and was projected into the air, which began its rollover.

The photo above shows the tiremarks of the Marquis at the point where  the vehicle strikes the telephone junction box and then veers into the ditch where it strikes a culvert. A single red cone in the distant background indicates the final rest position of the vehicle. The distances displayed in the above photo appear rather close but the photo was taken with a zoom lens. In fact the distance from the telephone junction box to the final rest position of the vehicle was about 130 metres or well the length of a football field.

Note that a tumbling distance of about 130 metres could result in a speed loss of about 128 km/h. Therefore, if we were to consider that some speed was also lost during the travel along the north shoulder, over an additional distance of 160 metres, it suggests an extreme speed was involved as the vehicle left the roadway. There could be other explanations for this evidence that would need closer scrutiny but the preliminary evidence would suggest that this very high speed existed.

UPDATE: JANUARY 17, 2012

The identity of the driver of the Marquis has now been revealed. Terence Gardhouse, 87, reportedly of Southwest Oxford Township, was air-lifted to London’s Victoria Hospital but has since succumbed to his injuries.

It would appear out of character for an elderly man such as this to be travelling at an apparently very high speed.

Much of this mystery could be evaluated by examining the character of the tire marks in the snow when those marks were still fresh. Below is one of our photos of the mysterious acceleration/swerving tire mark along side the straight tire mark caused by the Marquis. Note that, in this area where the unknown vehicle is simply tracking along the snow the tread of its tire is clearly visible. Yet, when acceleration or braking occurs then the tread is not visible.

 

It can be noted in the above photo that the tread of the tire in the Marquis mark is not visible so it leads to questions about how the mark was created. Certainly aging of the tire mark could affect our evaluation of its character. The above photo was taken about 24 hours after the occurrence and the bright sun would have the effect of melting away some of the mark’s features. Thus examination of the tire mark just after it was created would be the best method of approach to this problem. Unfortunately this is beyond our control.

January 15, 2012

Shirley Foster of Guelph Reportedly Killed in Crash Near Elora

Shirley A. Foster, 57, of Guelph, was pronounced dead at the scene of a two-vehicle colllision that occurred on Wellignton Road 18, at approximately 1430 hours on Saturday, January 14th, 2012. It is reported the the 1994 Pontiac Grand Am in which Foster was a passenger was travelling westbound when it struck a 2000 Dodge Pick-up that was northbound on the Wellington County Eighth Line.  James Allen Richards, 71, was driving the Pontiac and sustained serious injuries.

Two men in the pick-up truck, Christopher Michael Waito, 24, and Matthew Andrew Artus, 21, were reportedly ejected from the vehicle and sustained serious injuries.

The scenario depicted by these facts makes it unusual that Foster would sustain fatal injuries. If the front end of the Pontiac Grand Am struck the passenger’s side of the Pick-up then the Grand Am would rotate clockwise and the maximum crush should be located at the left-front of the Grand Am. It is rare that there would be structural intrusion into the passenger’s seat area where Foster would be seated. As such, a seat-belt, properly worn, should have protected her from serious injury. This can be said by examining the injury result to the driver of the Grand Am.

At an age of 71 Mr. Richards’ survival would be affected by his age. He would also be located in the area of the vehicle where the crush would have been the greatest and, if the collision was of sufficient serverity, intrusion of the vehicle’s frontal structure (left dash, lower cowl, Left A-pillar, etc.) would be likely. The fact that his injuries were reported as “serious” and not “severe” or “critical” could be a loose laymen’s terminology. However there are specific injuries that determine whether a person’s condition is reported as serious, severe or critical and that terminology is based on the likelihood that the person might succumb to his/her injuries. Serious injuries would involve something like a fractured femur, or multiple rib fractures without complications, etc.

Thus for a 71-year-old male to sustain only serious injuries has a relationship with the severity of impact and that relationship would suggest that the right front occupant should sustain less injury. Therefore this is an issue that should be explored further: Why did Shirley Foster sustain fatal injuries when the reported collision facts would suggest otherwise?

Also, it was reported that the force of impact caused the occupants of the Pick-up, Christopher Michael Waito, 24, and Matthew Andrew Artus, 21, to be thrown from the vehicle. Again, this is likely loose terminology used by news media who do not understand the implications of what they are saying. It would be extremely rare that a properly seat-belted occupant would be ejected from their vehicle because the collision was  so severe. Alternatively it is most likely that, if they were ejected as reported, then they were not wearing their seat-belts or they were wearing them improperly. In the case of intersection collisions  where there are very high rates of rotation occupants have been known to collapse their seat backs and be projected rearwards while using the angle of the seat back as a ramp. This condition is rare with Pick-ups because of the typical, limited room behind the front seats. Also a very high rate of rotation would require a large force that is far away from the  vehicle’s centre of gravity and the reported impact to the side of the Pick-up, as well as the smaller mass of the Grand Am, would make such a high rotational force quite unlikely.

Multiple Vehicles Lose Control On Highway 401 in Oxford County

At approximately 0340 hours this morning emergency vehicles were called to Highway 401 east of Woodstock to respond to two vehicles that had entered a ditch. In the process a fire truck was also present. While these actions were in progress drivers from two tractor trailer lost directional control of their vehicles and one struck the fire truck. Several persons are reported to have been transported to hospital in Woodstock, Ontario though the status of their injuries is unknown.

Given that the potential for icy conditions was known for a considerable time, it would appear that road maintenance personnel should have taken steps to place de-icing material on the road particularly given that Highway 401 should be the top priority. The loss of control of four vehicles at the same location would suggest that the road surface was likely icy. However nothing has been indicated whether maintenance road crews performed their work like they should have.

January 12, 2012

It is being reported that OPP Constable James Morrow has been charged with dangerous driving causing bodily harm in relation to a motor vehicle collision that occurred on October 1, 2011 at the intersection of Colonel Talbot Road and Glanworth Drive near the Highway 401 interchange southwest of London, Ontario. That collision reportedly caused serious injuries to another officer, presumably sitting in the passenger seat of Constable Morrow’s cruiser. It was reported that Ontario’s SIU was called in to investigate the collision.

The lack of any information regarding the incident has resulted in the public’s criticism. For example, comments attached to the London Free Press article resulted in the following:

“Don’t I love when I onlyl get half the story?

and,

“Classic LFP reporting: absolutely brutal.”

While the story does supply little information this is often done with the belief that a focus on police mistakes would make the public think less of them. There is the opposite possibility that hiding information will lead to speculation and distrust and cause even greater damage to police reputations. Also revealing the details assures the public that an individual officer was not mistreated or unfairly singled out by his/her superiors or the SIU.

UPDATE; January 12, 2012, 2230 Hours

Subsequently London, Ontario’s local TV news (CTV London) aired a story accompanied with some video taken on the day of the collision and it provides further details about the vehicle rest positions. We have also prepared a further article on this accident on our Articles page of this website.

January 11, 2012

Will Your Last Words Be:  “Maybe I Should Have Thought About This”?

Everyone gets those days.

You have been working late hours and you just want to get home. Or maybe you have to get somewhere and you’re late. Sure enough, when the usual trip takes 15 minutes you get stuck behind something large and it is going very slow.

You’re patient. There is a solid centre-line and you can’t see far enough ahead. So you wait, and wait, and wait. Finally, at some stage there is a thought cloud that bubbles above your head and you hear Clint Eastwood’s challenge: “Well, do you feel lucky Punk?”, “Go ahead, make my day”. You’re good enough for a challenge: I can’t see but should I take a chance anyway?

Well, no. You should never take that chance. Because losing your life is not worth it. Take a closer look. Did you see everything you’re supposed to. Go ahead take another look.

Some Vehicle Manufacturers’ Refusal To Co-operate In Legal Proceedings Is Just Wrong and Should be Illegal

General Motors, and then Ford, should be commended for their cooperation and inputs toward vehicle safety and legal justice in the manner that they have developed, and made available to the public, the recordings from event data recorders (“black boxes”). General Motors was the first manufacturer to make this data available, not only to special interest groups such as police or for themselves, but to private individuals by working with companies such as Vetronix Corportation and now Bosch to develop a decoding product that can be used by anyone to conduct a download from a collision-involved vehicle.

It is an afront to justice and the democratic principles upon which many national constitutions are based, that some manufacturers set a policy of refusing a vehicle owner’s access to crash data even in the event of family deaths and catestrophic injuries. Many of these manufacturers claim that they do not possess the resources to download the data themselves or to arrange a relationship similar to General Motors or Ford, to have a third party developer arrange so that the crash data can be downloaded by specialized decoding hardware. In many instances of civil litigation where there may be death or catestrophic injury, lawyers or families who retain those lawyers are willing to pay thousands of dollars to obtain such downloads. Yet still some manufacturers continue to refuse that service.

It indicates how cheap the rights of average citizens have become. Many drivers and owners are likely not capable of raising the thousands of dollars necessary to obtain a download from a manufacturer or even from a third party company that owns the decoding equipment. In the case of a person wanting to clear their name from some alleged wrong-doing it has become as case of the rich get justice, the poor only get poorer.

It has been too many years now that the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requested that, if manufacturers insist on storing data about individuals’ crash experience by way of these event data recorders then that data must be made available to the public through decoding hardware that can be readily obtained by the public. A law was to take effect in 2012 and was then postponed to 2013 but the teeth of that law are still waiting to seen.

Resumption of Shafia Honour Killings Trial - A Resumption of “He Said She Said” But Little Scientific Fact

Much publicity has revolved around an event that occurred in June of 2009 where a family of four persons was found deceased in a submerged canal lock on June 30th, 2009 in Kingston, Ontario. Police charged three other members of the family with murder in what has been described as a staged car accident. Those three accused allegedly conspired to kill the others due to a family dispute.

As the trial proceeds much of the news media reporting has been centred on the testimony of one person or another, describing how one person lied or another said something that appeared unusual or perhaps indicative of guilt or innocence. This focus on what someone said or did not say is at the expense of revelation of the objective facts and scientific evidence.

As has become painfully obvious in many trials involving motor vehicle accidents, the focus of lawyers, judges, juries and the news media on what someone said is the reason why many innocent persons are found guilty or guilty persons are set free. Far too often these interested parties come to the erroneous belief that their superior intellect allows them to decipher when someone is lying or genuine. This is often at the expense of understanding the scientific evidence and analysis upon which guilt and innocense should be properly based.

As an example, a primary issue in this case is that police have stated that another family car was used to push the Nissan Sentra, occupied by the deceased persons, into the water. That is an important fact. But the reasoning for this allegation has not been properly revealed. Rather than focusing on who said what, the focus should be on objective evidence such as this and whether the evidence of that action presented by the prosecution is based on solid proof.

The difficulty is that few persons, even in the legal system, truly appreciate that reliance on what persons say, or have said, or whether they were consistent in what they say is fraught with failure. Yet we continue to rely on these outdated methods. It is the Wizard of Oz, shaking and rattling and exhausting smoke, that leads us to believe that the ordinary assessor behind the curtain is somehow god-like in being able resolve the motivation for human behavior where numerous psychologists and psychiatrists over the decades have not.

January 10, 2012

Double Fatal Rollover & Tree Impact In Mississauga

On Friday, January 6, 2012 Babar Akram and his friend Ali Habib were both killed when their Mazda RX-8 rolled and reportedly struck a tree on Erin Centre Boulevard in Erin Mills, Ontario. The vehicle was generally intact except for a sizeable imprint of a narrow object into the centre of the driver’s door area. Although a Mississauga newspaper article indicated that the vehicle rolled, struck a tree and a fence the shape of the imprint on the driver’s door does not match these reported facts.

The imprint is not what would be created during a simple rollover or from striking a tree. The very sharp vertical lines existing on the edges of the imprint suggest that the vehicle struck something man-made such as the rectangular shape of a lamp standard. This itself may not be of major significance except that we should always  be concerned about the manner in which man-made objects deform or separate from their anchors. Objects, whether lamp standards, fences or various barriers must be of a character that would provide reasonable protection to vehicle occupants when struck. So a struck lamp stanadard that did not separate from its base but caused substantial crush and intrusion into the occupant space of a vehicle could be viewed as unsafe and improper, depending on the specifics of the circumstances. As is typical, newspaper articles rarely provide the type of detailed reporting that would inform the general public if such a problem actually occurred.

January 5, 2012

Seven Teenage Fatalities But No Questions About Road Conditions

Seven teenagers have been killed in two separate crashes near Parry Sound and Sudbury in recent days. Small mention was made that road conditions were poor, yet little or no mention is made of the actions of road maintenance personnel in the area to prevent these poor road conditions from occurring.

In the Parry Sound collision four persons were killed: Jessica Chamberland, 18; Alyssa McKeown, 17; Torry McIntrye-Courville, 18; and Cole Howard, 19. In that collision police were quoted as saying “…the roads were very slippery at the time..” but no further inquiry appeared to have been made by any news media whether this slippery road condition was due to the inactions of roadway personnel in preventing the road from becoming slippery. Police were quoted as saying a Camaro “…hit a patch of black ice…” causing it to cross the centre line into opposing traffic.

OPP Inspector Mark Andrews was quoted as saying there was no indication of alcohol involvement however, incredibly, he was then quoted as saying that “a lack of driving experience played a role” in the crash. He elaborated “If you’re an experienced driver, you’re watching for (black ice), some of our novice drivers aren’t watching. They don’t have the skill set to modify for that”. It is remarkable that Inspector Andrews, travelling at highway speed, at say 25 metres per second, could  believe that he would be able to recognize black ice on the road, which should be similar in colour to the black pavement, and be able to “adjust” so that the tires of his vehicle could attain a proper grip to that ice, while say nothing about the danger posed by the black ice and whether anything was done to prevent its occurrence.

Alternatively, a surviving driver involved in the crash, Josie McKechnie, gave a different interpretation in a CBC radio interview. She was quoted as saying:

“I think maybe what had happened was the snow had melted with the sunshine and then the southbound lane of that section of the highway was in shade with the trees and, I think, with the temperature, likely froze. Idon’t think anybody could have anticipated it. The northbound car in front of me had no opportunity to even brake, it was so quick.”

Jennifer Savard, an aunt of the deceased girls was quoted as saying:

“They waited the extra day, they waited out the storm. They just had snow tires put on the car and all the levels checked. They waited until the next day and obviously it was still icy. Speed was not a factor. They were wearing their seatbelts. But they dont know winter driving. We learn it over time, by trial and error, what to do when  the car starts slipping. You go into a ditch, you figure it out. They just never got the chance”.

Similarly, near Hagar (near Sudbury), three teenagers were killed: Keegan Melville, 18; Zabrina Rekowski, 19; and Hillary Afelski, 19. In this crash a minivan carrying four persons “crossed the centre line” of Highway 17 into the path of a Jeep. All three fatalities came from the van. No information was provided regarding weather or road conditions at the time of the crash or why the Ford minivan crossed the roadway centre-line. No information was given whether any news personnel these basic questions or if police made any inquiries of local road maintenance personnel regarding their snow clearance activities prior to the crash.

In an third, relatively unreported incident, Colin Rimkey, 18, of Orillia, was involved in a four vehicle collision on December 28th near the intersection of Highway 69 and Old Trout Lake Road. Again, Sgt. Bob Furchner was quoted as saying “The condition of the roads was very icy”, but no further response was given whether the icy conditions were preventable or whether the local maintenance personnel performed their duties as required.

In all these instances there is an immediate drawing of conclusions that somehow the collisions were the responsibility and result of poor or inexperienced driving. Dispite the fact that, at this early stage, none of these opinions could be based on the objective facts. Those opinions would require knowledge of basic facts such as the initial speeds of the vehicles involved and such information might not be known for many days or weeks after event and is often not shared by the investigating police. So to make these accusations, while not performing the investigation of what actions were taken by road maintenance personnel demonstrates the bias around which these investigations are carried out and the improper reporting of these facts by official news agencies.

January 3, 2012

Snow Squalls Present Exceptional Dangers To Drivers Unfamiliar With Southern Ontario Winter Conditions

Winter has finally arrived in Southern Ontario as evidenced by the annual snow squals that sweep off the Great Lakes and onto our rural highways. Particularly in the first part of the season the surfaces of the Great Lakes are not frozen and, as strong westerly or northerly winds pass over those large wet areas they take up a lot of cold moisture which turns into snow. All this white stuff is then dropped on the highways in very localized blizzards where the visibility could only be a few metres ahead and the snow accumulation could be be 6 inches (15 centimetres) per hour. If one of these streamers stays stationary over particular part of roadway there could be extremely hazardous conditions in the local area, while just a fews kilometers away the road conditions could be excellent.

At this time of year we have a lot of visitors to the Great Lakes region from visitors to the south wanting the experience a true white Christmas. This is OK, but we must remind them that snow and ice are slippery and the conditions need to be recognized ahead of time to prevent a disaster. The following photos high-light some typical dangers in our region during winter snow.

There is not reason to preach about the necessity of driving a well maintained vehicle. In recent years many families in North America have felt the economic pinch through no fault of their own and are left to drive vehicles that are of less than desirable condition. The reality is simple: Such vehicles will come to a halt in blizzard conditions at locations that are not only inconvenient but dangerous. The decision what to do when your vehicle stalls in traffic is never an easy one and your actions must depend largely on the unique circumstances. You need to evaluate the danger of your vehicle being struck by high speed traffic. If so, there is no point in remaining in your vehicle as the consequences are simply deadly. But if your vehicle has slid off the road in poor weather there is some reason to stay in the vehicle until help arrives. An emergency kit with blankets, a candle and other essentials are strongly recommended. This is a complicated issue that needs so thought.

Winter driving involves understanding that snow falls over top of many dangers that would normally be visible. In rural, two-lane, roadways the edge of the asphalt should be treated with respect. But when the edge of that asphalt is covered over by snow a driver does not know what lies beneath.

Too often a dangerous drop-off exists between the edge of the asphalt and the gravel shoulder but that is covered over by an innocuous layer of snow. A slight mis-alignment, where the driver allows the right side wheels to travel too far to the right, can lead the right tires to travel onto a dangerous edge drop off and cause a sudden loss of control.

Once a vehicle enters a state of loss-of-control the results are generally unpredictable. It may be favourable to have the vehicle travel onto the right roadside instead of into opposing traffic. But even this can cause an unpredictable rollover or perhaps an impact with a utility pole or a tree.

We often mis-understand visibility and the role that winter sunlight can play in masking many dangers. While bright sun can be helpful in illuminating objects it can also mask dangers. The photo below illustrates the danger when blowing snow clings to a warning sign to mask it message while the sun helps to blind the driver toward not realizing that the sign exists. Fortunately in immovable and large object such as a house tells the driver that the roadway does not continue.

Overall, there are many dangers that exist in our area during winter conditions that are often unique or uncommon to someone visiting us from a more southern climate. Even seasoned drivers who have experienced many winters in Ontario can be caught by surprize.

January 2, 2012

Pre-Cautions During Snow Plow Season

Every season brings its unique challenge to the driver. In wintertime snow plows are a common sight in Canada and that is no different in Southern Ontario. We often encounter snow plows during poor weather conditions when we may already be late for some particular engagement or work. The slow-moving plow sometimes entices us to make a bad decision to pass when the roadway terrain indicates there is not enough visibility ahead to complete a safe passing motion.  This can lead to a very serious head-on collision at highway speed. Not a good choice.

So, take a moment to think this out. Major injury is not a happy consequence. Para or quadraplegia are consequences you may experience, or death may leave your family and circle of friends in a horrifying nightmare. None of that really needs to happen. Let the professional at the plow do his/her work and wait your turn.

January 1, 2012

PTCruiser and Chev Collide on Clarke & Dundas In East London

Injuries could have been significant had a Chevrolet Aveo been occupied by a right front occupant during an angle collision on Clarke Road just north of Dundas Street on Saturday afternoon, December 31st, 2011. The Aveo was southbound on Clarke Road and attempted a left turn into a parking lot at the north-east quadrant of Clarke and Dundas. A northbound PTCruiser stuck the right side of the PTCruiser during its turn resulting in substantial crush at the right front door of the Aveo. Below are a couple of photos, looking north and south, of the final rest positions of the two vehicles.

 

Interestingly, as the the Aveo was driven sideways against the curb, its left rear wheel became separated due to a fracture at the axle. The brittle nature of the the metal of the axle makes this a common occurrence. The view below shows the left rear wheel tucked under the vehicle at final rest.

 

Second Tragedy Befalls Huber Family During Christmas Season

Eleven-year-old Jeremy Huber sustained fatal injuries as a result of a collision on December 22, 2011 at the intersection of Nafziger Road and Gerber Road near Wellesley, Ontario. It was reported that the Huber family was southbound in their van on Nafziger Road when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver travelling westbound on Gerber. The impact to the left side of the van was next to Jeremy’s seating position and he suffered major head and chest injuries.

This circumstance is more tragic due to the fact that the Huber family lost another son, Lyndall, due to a collision in March, 2011 near Palmerston, Ontario. The circumstances of Lyndall’s death involved a loss-of-control of his vehicle which subsequently collided with a utility pole. The cause of that collision was initially reported as driver error however in an article posted on this website we indicated that the physical evidence suggested the possibility that the driver was attempting to avoid something on the road. Subsequently police indicated that the female driver of a second vehicle was charged with careless driving but no further details were revealed.

It would appear that in both crashes the Huber family suffered due to inappropriate actions of other drivers. It is particularly noteworthy that prohibitions against drinking and driving  have been advertised well in advance of the Christmas season. If indeed alcohol impairment was a factor in claiming Jeremy Huber’s life then the impaired driver should have been aware of the consequences of his actions.

Through many years of similar occurrences it is apparent that the hard-core repeat, drunk-driving offender is difficult to control and correct. Focused attention needs to be placed not only on indiviuals but also on how we can prevent chronic alcoholism, drug dependence and other parasitic problems of our society from claiming innocent victims. A genuine shift in our society’s focus to help those who might fall into such a parasitic lifestyle is not only good for the individual but also good, and a cost-saving, to our society as a whole.

New Child Seat Laws Will Not Be Easy For Parent Compliance

Although not publicly advertised, there has been a long history of problems in properly securing children to seat belts and other harnesses that were initially developed with the adult population in mind.

 Even adults have continually worn their seat belts in a manner that subjects them to additional injury and death. As an often-ignored tragedy, we can recall the very unpopular crash in the late 1970′s on Governer’s Road west of Woodstock, Ontario where six, seat-belt restrained occupants of an Oldmobile were fatally injured in a head-on collision while the three unrestrained occupants of the opposing Chevrolet survived. The official investigation determined that several of those fatalities were caused by lap belts that rode up, or were positioned onto the soft abdominal area and not below the pelvic “illiac crests”. While the blame was placed on the occupants themselves, the seat belt legislation, without advertisement of proper seat-belt use, was perhaps the primary cause of those fatalities.

And many incidents throughout the decades have demonstrated that seat belts have never properly restained children that are substantially smaller than the average adult. Numerous child fatalities occurred before official advertising of the use of booster cushions and child seats. In the intervening time the general public simply complied with the law because it was the law and the cause of many injuries and deaths from seat belts were not made known.

There has always been the recognition amongst crash safety researchers that the proper restraint of children in child seats and infant carriers was mainly dependent on proper attachment of the restraints to the seats as well as the harnesses to the children themselves. The superior crash performance of the seats themselves was rarely an issue provided that the anchorages were installed properly. But the “properly” thing is the crucial point. How easy is it to anchor the child seat “properly” and how easy is it to attach the harness “properly” to the child or infant?

The vast majority of issues related to slack in the system. That is, parents cannot grasp the importance of making sure that the child seat is tightly secured to the vehicle structure by way of a tight seat belt. And similarly, it becomes difficult to tightly attach the harness to a squirming and dynamic child or infant that may also be wearing several layers of loose winter clothing. This slack in the system is what caused the child or infant to move into an inappropriate position with respect to the harness and seat/carrier. And while the seat/carrier may perform exceptionally in controlled tests with a “properly” secured child/infant that becomes more complicated in the real world when the “properly” cannot be practically achieved. Very much like the lap-belted adults who died of seat belt injuries, the parents are put to blame rather than recognizing the practical difficulties that exist in achieving that theoretical “properly” goal.

So, as of today, January 1st, 2012, our federal transport agency, Transport Canada, is changing their definitions so that children are placed in a rear-facing position of a child seat until they are of an older age or larger size. But many parents wonder how these older children will tolerate being placed in this position without wanting to squirm out or around to face the front. While placed in a rear-facing position the problem of being harnessed “properly” is reduced and the possibility of head injury is reduced.  But again, how do you achieve this, practically, in the vast majority of the population?

It is an age-old problem that official agencies try to brush under the carpet.

December 17, 2011

Ontario Ombudsman Marin Releases Second “Over-Sight” Report With New Criticsims of Attorney General’s Office In Undermining Province’s SIU

As if Andre Marin’s original report of 2008 was not enough of a wake-up call, Ontario’s Ombudsman Office has released a second report this week that would appear to be even more critical of the Attorney General’s Office handling of its own Special Investigations Unit (SIU). The new report specifically alleges that the Attorney General’s Office purposely “undermined ” the efforts of its SIU in dealing with investigations of alleged police criminal actions.

The new report, entitled “Oversight Undermined” continues to express great concern over inaction by the Attorney General’s Office in dealing with the ineffectiveness of the SIU in obtaining police cooperation during allegations of police wrong-doing. It describes incidents where police continue to refuse submittal of written notes of their actions surrounding investigations where officers are alleged to have committed crimes during the course of their duties. The notes are a required daily activity of every police officer. Instead the notes are apparently being withheld until a lawyer representing the police reviews the notes and changes are made. The problem is that the same lawyer also has access to the notes of other police and the notes of those others can potentially be changed to protect all officers involved.

It would seem incredible that the Attorney General’s office and police would act in such a manner. These persons are the ones who our society depends on to defend us from the dangerous people who would steal, assault and murder us. We expect that persons in these positions would act in an ethical manner. Yet, it would seem they do not understand that hiding information about a police officer’s potential criminal activity is simply wrong. The reprecussions of this are enormous in terms of the public’s respect and belief in the police being what they are advertised to be.

Incredibly, the police and SIU do not even share the same understanding of what constitutes the threshold for when the SIU should be called into an investigation. The police have simply adopted their own definition of “serious injury” regardless of whether that conflicts with the definition established by the SIU. If this does not warrant intervention by the Attorney General’s Office then what does?

In our view, the investigation of police criminal behaviour should be performed by the police themselves because, if we truly accept that they are there as protectors and investigators of criminal behaviour then there should be no difference whether the criminal wears a uniform or what kind of uniform is worn. It is a testiment to the deflation of the moral character of the upper administration of police forces that the government and the public has determined that police administration can not be trusted to police their own staff and therefore an independent agency, the SIU, must exist.

The existence of the SIU is devisive in that it creates two public agencies in a “us against them” environment rather than an “all of us against crime” environment. It basically says the police cannot be trusted. And unfortunately, perhaps because of the friction between the two agencies, police can no longer be trusted because they are too busy protecting themselves rather than protecting their own ranks from criminal penetration.

The field of motor vehicle accident investigation has a small relationship with this problem but never-the-less the presence of these problems exists. I have investigated an incident where the police investigation was improper, the crown attorney’s actions were improper and the manner in which a trial was conducted was also improper. Complaints to the responsible agencies led to no actions. This was a relatively minor matter but it has left an altered impression on me of the ethics of all these agencies combined. I cannot imagine how a person might feel who has been violated by a serious criminal act by police and not have that incident properly investigated.

Above all, society must insist that our justice system operate in an ethical manner. Mr. Marin’s report is a wake-up call that was not properly heeded in 2008 and he should not have to keep knocking at this locked door.

December 14, 2011

Serious/Critical Injuries To SUV Driver Who Struck Tree on Highway 59, South of Tavistock, Ontario – What caused the Crash?

A lone driver of a silver SUV unexplainably left his southbound travel lane of Highway 59 in Oxford County and crossed the northbound lane, entered the east ditch, and struck a tree. This occurred at approximately 0930 hours on Monday, December 12, 2011. Nothing would have caused this to occur as a witness, apparently driving behind the SUV, gave that impression. Police also were quick to note that the roadway was dry and clear and it was sunny. Because the SUV struck the tree with its front end the immediate reaction would be that maybe this driver attempted to commit suicide. Yet the evidence at the collision site would suggest that other factors could have been involved.

We are preparing an article on this collision which should be completed later today (December 14th, 2011).

UPDATE: DECEMBER 14TH, 2011, 1440 HOURS

An article has now been uploaded to our Articles page regarding this accident.

December 13, 2011

Early Morning Crash On Highway 401 at Foldens Road (Oxford Cty Road 6) Results in Fatal Injuries to Car Driver

A collision between a car and transport truck in the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 at approximately 0300 hours, December 13th, 2011, has claimed the life of the car driver. No further details are available at this time.

December 12, 2011

Darren Millett May Have Been Impaired But Physical Evidence In Fatal Collision Needs Proper Reporting

It was reported that Darren Millet was the driver of a Dodge Caliber that struck and killed Mounir Mahious on Cawartha Road in Mississauga, Ontario, on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Millett was also described as being charged with ciminal negligence causing death and impaired operation of a motor vehicle.

The collision was also described as speed-related and “so violent that it may have shredded their seatbelts…” as reportedly suggested by Constable Marlon Colthrust of Peel Regional Police. Both the deceased and his young son were reportedly ejected from their vehicle. This is where these comments need clarification.

Constable Colthrust may have been mis-quoted but photos of the two vehicles do not suggest that it was so violent. For example, there is not evidence that the wheelbase of either vehicle was shortened by the damage and this is clearly confirmed in the on-site photos shown in various news media articles. Also the A-pillars (front roof pillars on either side of the windshield are also un-disturbed on both vehicles. Similarly the hoods of both vehicles are not buckled. All this is factual evidence, unlike the rather hysterical descriptions provided in the news media.

As usual, the news media have also not informed the public about the true nature of the collision because they purposely failed to shows photos of the driver’s side of the Mahious Kia. While that decision is often made to spare some readers from suggesting that the newspapers are attempting to sensationalize a story, there are two sides to this coin. Because showing such evidence is also educational and explains to the public what occurred and why it occurred. Although we cannot see that damaged surface it is highly unlikely that the “shredded” seat-belts occurred because of some extreme severity of the impact. Rather it is most likely that this was a narrow, side-swiping action of the front end of the Dodge as the Dodge was rotating, counter-clockwise into the side of the Kia. Such an action often occurs when a vehicle such as the Dodge is rotating out of control before impact. And this is a common problem in real-life collisions that is being ignored.

Yes, as some reporters indicated, the Caliber coming to rest “hundreds of feet away” from the point of impact on its roof indicates a substantial speed but many vehicles travel at substantial speed, or highway speed and, following a collision where the change-in-speed is rather moderate, a vehicle can spin out and eventually come to rest several hundred feet down the road.

So Mr. Millett may be guilty of certain offenses that will be judged in court, but we should not sensationalize the evidence just because a tragedy has occurred that up-sets us.

The greatest tragedy may be that these consequences could have been reduced had we paid attention to the manner in which vehicles collide after the driver of one vehicle loses directional control of his/her vehicle. Although the evidence is presently scant, it suggests that this is another example where the loss-of-control vehicle (Caliber) was involved a “head-on” collision with the Kia, except that it was not an impact to the front end of the Kia but to its left side. This is precisely the kind of collision that is not being tested in various government (Transport Canada, NHTSA, Euro) research agencies because they have a continual mind set that collisions must be categorized as either head-on or angle but not a combination of both. It is precisely this type of narrow contact, applied from the front, that penetrates deeper as the contact progresses into a vehicle’s side, that is not addressed by either seat-belts or air bags. Crash tests are either frontal or side but none address a narrow frontal impact alone the left side as is apparent in the present case. While government agencies have been gathering data on real-life collisions since the late 1970′s minimal effort has been focused on this special type of collision.

It is not helpful at all, when we try to save ourselves the memory of these tragic events, by not discussing how persons such as Mounir Mahious sustained their injuries, because if we had done so twenty years ago then new vehicle designs would exist today that would have prevented this tragedy from occurring. And that is a further tragedy.

December 8, 2011

Chrysler Owners Out of Luck  – But So Are Many Other Vehicle Owners

Democracy can be fickle as owners of some Chrysler products are finding out.

“Black Boxes” (event data recorders) that record crash information should theoretically be helpful to owners, and the general public. These devices exist in the majority of modern motor vehicles. Generally, EDRs record only a small segment of information before and after a crash so that this important objective information can help explain how a collision occurred. It has been argued that the benefit of maintaining such recorders is in helping to defend owners from improper prosecution of a crime or possibly a traffic citation. Secondly, the data allows various safety programs to understand how injuries are caused and therefore it is easier to select the appropriate counter-measures to alleviate these safety problems. Owners are assured that they can access this data through Crash Data Retieval (CDR) hardware that can be bought through the Bosch Coporation. Alternatively a third party operator who has  the equipment can do that downloading for them. But for some Chrysler owners such benefits do not exist.

For model year 2006, some Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum, Dodge Charger, Dodge Dakota, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Jeep Commander models may contain EDR data that cannot be read by the CDR tool. It is reported that a technical problem prevents that download such that the only solution is to have the module that contains the data delivered to Chrysler for downloading by company representatives. Obviously, if there is a safety-related problem with a Chrysler vehicle and there is a dispute between Chrysler and the owner of a vehicle then that owner would be hesitant to deliver the module to the very “enemy” that they are fighting since Chrysler would be the only agency in a position to know whether the data was retrieved properly or whether the data was tampered with.

But beyond that problem, and even if the owner of the Chrysler product simply wanted to a defense related to somekind of criminal charge or highway traffic citation, that owner will still be out of luck because Chrysler now advises that they cannot accept requests for retreiving the data from their modules from private owners or consultants because they do not have the resources to handle such requests.

This sort of problem is not isolated to Chrysler but also exists in the relationship that many vehicle owners have with the manufacturers of automotive products they own. Information is gathered during a crash that is beneficial to large coporations, government regulators and police and when requests are made to manufacturers by these agencies they are able to gain access to the data while requests from average citizens are being denied.

This paradox becomes particularly vivid when  there is a traffic death of a family member or a family member sustains permanent injuries such a quadraplegia or brain injuries that require a life-time of treatment for that injured person. It would seem an important part of our democratic society that the injured party, or the family, be allowed to develop a proper claim for compensation by retieving the crash data that might clearly identify who was at fault for those consequences. Yet there is no protection from agencies that who deny that basic right.

So, as the saying goes, we are all equal, it is just that some of us are more equal than others.

December 5, 2011

Auditor General Reveals Chaos That Exists With Ontario Insurance Claims

It is interesting how the numbers simply pass in one ear and out the other but those numbers, at the very least, are embarassing.

Ontario’s Auditor General, Jim McCarter, released a report about the recent status of auto insurance in Ontario and the facts speak for themselves.

Anyone who is involved in automotive safety is aware of the “official” declines in fatalities and injuries from automobile accidents that have been falling since the mid-1970s. Without looking at any source documents I know that about 7500 Canadians sustained fatal injuries in motor vehicle accidents in about 1974-5 and that number has fallen to about half of that in the latest statistics. Yet here is the Auditor General’s fact:

“From 2005 to 2010, the total cost of injury claims rose 150 percent even though the number of injury claims in the same period increased only 30 per cent,” wrote McCarter. Never mind the 150 per cent cost, but the number of claims rose 30 percent in five years. Where are all these injured persons coming from?

Also this little tid-bit:

The number of personal injury claims in 2009 was almost 75,000, 20 per cent higher than the number of people who reported having been injured in an automobile accident that year.

And the final note:

The government guarantees insurers  a “reasonable rate of return” from their business that they calculated at 12 per cent.

Interestingly the report also states that the cost of fraud to the insurance industry in Ontario is about $1.3 billion a year. Hmmm, which fraud are we talking about?

When there are more claims than there are injured persons does that not sound like fraud? When the cost of insurance claims are going through the roof while there are fewer officially injured persons does that not sound like fraud? When the insurance industry is guaranteed a profit of 12 per cent regardless of its actions does that not sound like fraud? Never mind the greasy, shifty-eyed, black-shirted-white-tied, gangsters that we traditionally associate with organized crime. What about all the rest who are involved in this operation? Is it not, at a minimum, embarassing when these numbers illuminate the extent to which the whole insurance/legal system appears to be taking advantage of the fact that a monopoly exists with respect to auto insurance and legal representation in our justice system?

Yet, we also take these “statistics” as the genuine truth without looking deeper. For example, we have stopped independent documentations of “minor” collisions. It used to be that a police officer was responsible for this documentation function but now, as a cost saving to tax payers, that function no longer exists. Now we are asked to attend a collision reporting centre. “Apparently-low-speed”, non-injury collisions  are those that are funnelled to these agencies. Yet these property-damage-only collisions are the ones that, days later, become personal injury collisions as the occupants discover that, 48 hours after the incident, their soft tissues are not tightening up and becoming more painful.

Similarly, single-vehicle collisions may not be reported because of the costs involved when insurance rates rise due to two at-fault collisions. Could this also be another hidden source of injury collisions?

There are likely many other subtle nuances to all this that only the industry insiders are aware of. Whether genuine fraud by the industry or inaccurate reporting of accident statistics, there certainly appears to be chaos in one form or another.

December 2, 2011

Honda recalls 304,000 vehicles for air-bag problems

TOKYO – Honda Motor Co. is recalling 304,000 vehicles globally, including 27,000 in Canada, for air-bags that may inflate with too much pressure in a crash, send metal and plastic pieces flying and cause injuries or deaths.

Kyle VanMoorsel’s Survival of Rollover Is A True Second Chance On Life

In August, 2010 we reported on a high speed rollover collision in the Sarnia, Ontario area where the driver, Kyle A. VanMoorsel, sustained critical injuries. Given the speed at which the vehicle began to tumble into a field of crop it was miraculous that VanMoorsel’s passenger came out of it without major injuries. Although it is reported that VanMoorsel sustained a neck injury that now is a visible scar, this may be a good reminder to him everytime he looks in the mirror, as to how close he came to certain death and that this is an opportunity toward a new life without mixing speed with alcohol. Although the comment is becoming rather cliche, the fact is that wearing seat-belts was likely what saved the lives of both occupants.

VanMoorsel was sentenced to a year of house arrest this is a far better outcome than if he and/or his friend had become bound to a wheel chair for the rest of their lives – a lucky outcome that many others in similar circumstances were not given, just by pure chance.

It is a reminder, particularly as we approach the Christmas season, as to how your life and the lives of those around you can become a living hell due to a major injury as a result of a motor vehicle accident. This can be averted by simple precautions such as assessing the condition of the driver of your vehicle, preventing an alcohol-impaired driver from driving, and refusing to become a passenger of a vehicle driven by an unsafe driver.

Two-Vehicle Collision On Plank Road (Highway 19) And Westbound Ramp to Highway 401

Although no mention was made in major news outlets, a two-vehicle collision occurred on November 30th, 2011 just south of Ingersoll, Ontario, resulting in the rollover of Nissan Altima into the south ditch of the westbound ramp leading from Plank Road (Highway 19) to Highway 401. The Woodstock Sentinel Review Newspaper reported that Ontario Provincial Police called in “collision reconstruction experts” to conduct the investigation. This would normally take place only if there were life-threatening injuries to one of the involved persons. But no further details have been revealed. Given the physical evidence at the collision scene it would appear that the rollover of the Nissan was at low speed and therefore the likelihood of severe injury would be lessened from that consequence however the severity of the initial impact with the second vehicle is unknown.

Below are some photos of the evidence at the site.

November 26, 2011

A fatal, single vehicle crash has claimed the life of a Norfolk County man, Gordon Alexander Oakes, 40. The 2005 GMC Sierra Pick-up truck that he was driving  rolled over several times on Middleton NOrth Walsingham Townline Road, between Plank Road and Byerlay Side Road, south-east of Tillsonburg, Ontario at appoximately 1000 hours on Friday, November 25th, 2011. A passenger of the vehicle, Jonni Ionson, 22, sustained minor injuries.

UPDATE: November 28th, 2011

We examined the site of this collision on November 27th and have prepared an article on our findings that can be seen on our Articles page.

November 25, 2011

Recent Concentrated Maintenance Efforts at Clarke Road North of Fanshawe

Peculiar activity by City of London maintenance staff has concentrated on the problems mentioned several times in our posted articles. The edge drop-off issues have existed along the east edge of the Clarke Road in London, Ontario for a number of years and we have been monitoring the depth of the drop offs at 5 metre intervals over a required 20 metre distance.

In 2010 the edge drop-off was re-graded in August and November but then there was a long period of no maintenance between November, 2010 and October, 2011. During this time edge drop-off measurements were over 4 inches at several of the 5-metre measurement stations but predictably, a full 20 metres of edge drop-off above the 3.15 inch (8 centimetre) Provincial guideline (Minimum Maintenance Standards) was never reached because at least one of the five measurement stations always had an edge drop-off that was just shy of the 3.15 inch (8 centimetre) threshold. It has been our criticism that the biased Provincial MMS has created a threshold for maintenance that will rarely be met since edge drop-offs over 4 inches deep can exist for many months, as demonstrated at the Clarke Road site, without ever producing a full distance of 20 metres of those “excessive” values.

While we have been conducting our measurements and taking photos we have noticed that our actions have frequently been observed by City staff as they drive past the site. Interestingly, there has suddenly become a concentrated effort to re-grade the shoulder where this drop off problem exists. After the noted lack of action between November, 2010 and October, 2011, re-grading of the shoulder took place again on approximately November 3, 2011 or only about one month later. And now we observed that the shoulder was re-graded again on appoximately November 24, 2011 or just three weeks after the previous re-grading.

So something has finally caught the attention of City staff. This is good news for this one site and for this short time. But the issue of excessive edge drop-offs is a Province-wide problem that carrys across many municipal jurisdictions. While there may be periodic concentrations of effort for brief periods often that effort fades back to oblivion and long periods of neglect.

This can be expected when the responsibilities for maintenance are left to individual municipalities that do not have to answer to anyone. If inspections and maintenance are carried out it is done so in a secretive fashion. This is partly due to the pressures to maintain that secrecy from plaintiff lawyers who are quite eager to file a civil suite against what is referred to as a “deep pocket”, or an agency from which money is available for extraction by the courts. Municipalities have “circled the wagons” against this common threat of plaintiff lawyers and in so doing have made it impossible for the general public to confirm that their actions are what they should be.

Our work has involved evalution of accident reconstruction cases for both defense and plaintiff sides. When we raise the issue of hidden agendas by both groups it does not help the marketing of our business as it raises some irritation in both camps. However the safety of the public at large is at stake and that public is not particularly aware of the influences that are at work unless there is some violent awakening which will simply not happen. One fatal collision passes onto another and news media reports are a dry bit of reading unless it is your personal tragedy. Whether a roadway problem contributed to a collision or whether the problem has been trumped up by plaintiffs cannot be determined by the general public. Large monetary consequences lead largely to shifting of the facts like dirty laundry that has been left on the line.

November 18, 2011

Pavement Edge Drop-Off Problems

We continue to discuss the issue of pavement edge drop off. Over several years we have followed the development of this problem at several locations in Southwestern Ontario. It has come to light that, despite seemingly active maintenance of roadway crews these drop offs continue to exist. It would seem that a reasonable solution would involve regular inspections by inspectors and the sending of shoulder graders to re-level the gravel shoulders. But that is not happening. The only other solution is a permanant change to the width of the pavement where the problem persists. We have prepared a new article in the Articles page of this website that looks at a persistent pavement edge drop-off problem on Veterans Memorial Parkway in London, Ontario, Canada. The chronic problems at this location are not unique to the site nor is the City’s reaction any different that what we would expect from many other jurisdictions in our area. However there are reasons why problems like these are not being properly addressed and we provide our opinions in the article.

November 14, 2011

The Gorski Consulting website as been down for the last week as we dealt with some computing issues, which have now been resolved.

In this time a number issues have arisen both locally and internationally.

Locally, there continue to be a rash of fatal collisions in the area that give the appearance that our progressively reduced level of fatals in recent decades has turned back upward. Whether this is just an unscientific and media propogated appearance is unclear, but we seem to be attending a large number of fatal collisions in the area that did not seem to be as prevelant a year ago.

Continued Safety Issues with Farm Vehicle Collisions

Certainly, with the coming of the fall season we have witnessed a number of tragic collisions involving farm vehicles. Persons who rear-end such un-common devices or who are blinded by the unusual lighting, location or speed of these implements. Each year this is a common occurrence without much notice or focus applied by local agencies to inform the general public, and the farming community about what scenarios can pose a dangerous condition. Thankfully the harvesting season is near its end but there is always next year. I question when we will ever come together to form a collective response to these problems by highlighting what has been learned, even from this past season, about what to do and what not to do. Unfortunately it seems we will simply report the sad statistics in the general media as if it is a pre-ordained consequence with no apparent solution.

The Tragic Accident, or Homicide, Involving Justine Winter

Internationally, a particular accident scenario has caught the attention of the U.S. national broadcasters such as NBC in their Dateline program. The tragic scenario is one of a young teenager, Justine Winter, who has been convicted of homicide as a result of a head-on collision that occurred March 19, 2009 in Montana. Much of the trial was consumed over text messages made by Winter to her boyfriend just prior to the collision suggesting that she would commit suicide. Such messages became incriminating as Winter’s Pontiac Grand Am reportedly crossed the centre-line of a rural highway and collided head-on with a Subaru Forrester occupied by a 35-year-old female driver, Erin Thompson, and her 13-year-old son, Caden Odell. Both Thompson and Odell sustained fatal injuries while Winter survived. This event was even more tragic when the families of the victims were identified and the magnitude of the loss was appreciated.

Erin Thompson was obviously loved by her husband, Jason Thompson, who had endured several previous tragedies in his life but who had finally found his soul-mate in Erin. Jason was as decent of a man as anyone could imagine and his loss would have been deeply felt by anyone who became aware of his life. Unfortunately, the exceptional person that he was had the potential of playing into the emotions of the judge, jury and many who had a scant understanding of the evidence that was being brought forth at trial. It was more difficult for anyone to bear when it was also revealed that Erin Thompson was pregnant with Jason’s child.

The reported evidence was that Winter was travelling toward a construction site at a bridge and the speed of her vehicle “climbed to 85 miles per hour”. Road construction constricted the bridge from four lanes to two, yet Prosecutors said that she made no effort to brake as she entered the construction zone. A witness travelling behind the Thompson Subaru reported that the Subaru slowed and then there was an explosion as the two vehicles collided.

Police determined that Winter’s Pontiac crossed the centre-line and this is what caused the collision. It was reported that police “had a lot of questions” and that “we didn’t know why this happened, there had to be a reason”. The police then questioned Winter’s boyfriend and the text messages were revealed in which Winter threatened to commit suicide. Then “authorities believed they found the reason”. Patrol Sgt. Ernie Freebury was quoted as saying “She did just exactly what she said she was going to do”. And the County Attorney, Ed Corrigan added “She purposely went into that wrong way in traffic, ran into that car -and had to know, or should have known that by doing so, she was going to kill the occupants in that other vehicle”. Thompson’s Subaru was reported to be travelling at 31 mph at impact as determined by a state crash investigator.

Explanations of the evidence was revealing of the quality of the investigation. For example, Montana State Troopers “explained just how serious this crash really was”.  Trooper Dustin Larette “discovered that the vehicles collided so violently that Winter’s car covered nearly 70% of Erin Thompson’s vehicle”. Although much of the objective evidence was never revealed for our evaluation, some photos of the vehicles were available through various news media and the police comments are enlightening.

Trooper Glen Barcus referred to a “hash mark” made by the speedometer needle at 85 mph at the point of impact. His remark was ” The vehicle stops and the needle continues to go for a second. In that split second it can impact the speedometer and leave a mark”. Barcus was also quoted as saying he believed that Justine Winter was not wearing her seat belt based on the evidence that “showed no stretch marks or cuts on the seat belt and that it was loced ina the up right position. It is unclear whether the media reporting is bad or the investigation was bad, or both were bad. But clearly this comments expressed a horribly, unprofessional ignorance of what evidence should be relied upon to make such conclusions.

We do not make conclusions about vehicle speed from speedometer needle imprints, we do it from things like pre and post crash directions of travel, amount of crush on the vehicles and other evidence. The Thompson vehicle was not “covered 70%” by the Winter vehicle. Frankly, I don’t even know what that comment means. How much crush was there, was it representative of a certain change-in-speed or Delta-V? That is what we should be talking about.

The conclusion about seat-belt usage from “stretch” marks really impresses me. Does not police investigator really understand what he is saying? This is a colllison with massive intrusion of the structure into the seating spaces of both drivers. Such intrusion often gets to the drivers before they have time to apply a load to their seat-belts. So, sometimes, in very severe crashes you may find little evidence of “loading” marks on a seat belt. But such theoretical mumbo jumbo is irrelevant. The question is: What evidence did the police investigator find on the seat belt and where was it located. Even if the seat belt was not worn it has nothing to do, and should have nothing to do with the finding of whether someone attempted to commit suicide.

Sgt. James Kitchin provided more useful information in terms of the data that was recoverd from the “black box” of Winter’s Grand Am. This indicated that “she was travelling 86 mph two seconds before her airbag deployed”. But clearly that is not all that the black box indicated. Surely if the speed was recorded then this was likely an SDM that would have five seconds of pre-crash data about braking, throttle application, engine speed and speed in mph. But all that evidence is not presented. One of the recordings on such an EDR is whether the driver’s seat-belt was latched during the crash. But anyone familar with such recordings knows that the default, place-holder for that coding is “Unlatched” meaning that it can be recorded as unlatched if the signal to switch it to latched is not properly received/achieved. No mention was made of that common possibility.

Peculiarly, Caden Odell, who had been seated in the right front seat of the Subaru died of a “broken neck” as determined by the coroner, who was reported to be Sgt. Ernie Freebury. This is an interesting revelation by the news media since in all other parts of the civilized world coroners are supposed to be medical doctors, not Seargents. So what is reported somtimes needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

What is apparent when I read all these news articles about this case is just how uninformed persons are, not just in the news media, but most importantly, the investigators who bring the evidence to a trial, the jurors who must make the ultimate decision of guilt or innocence and the judges and lawyers. What these people focus on are issues such as the meaning of a text message and whether that indicates a deliberate intention to cause a collision. They have absolutely no clue about what is important.

This collision occcurred as a head-0n collision with about a 50% overlap, or less of the front ends of the vehicle. People have no clue to the fact that this is typical of an accidental event. When head-on accidents happen they involve about 50% of the left front ends of the vehicles. Did the jury know this? Did the judge or lawyers understand this?

What about energy dissipation. Vehicles travelling at 31 and 86 mph create a total kinetic energy that has to be dissipated by crush and post-impact travel. What was the kinetic energy is this crash? Was it calculated? Did the police have the ability to calculate that total energy? Did it match what the EDR (black box) recorded?

At one point I read a small comment in the news articles about there being braking by the Winter just before the crash. Hmmm. Why would you be braking when you are attempting to commit suicide? But this is the type of reaction you would expect in a head-on collision in the very short time that a driver realizes their vehicle is crossing the centre-line or the other vehicle is coming into their lane.

And there was a comment, even from the witness about the Winter vehicle “veering” into the other lane just before impact. Hmmm. Why would someone wait until the last instant to veer into the opposing lane when attempting to commit suicide? Is that typical? Did anyone actually look at other collisions that were obvious suicides to see if this veering action was common or expected? What if I said that, in my experience, suicidal drivers line up their “victim”, whether it be a tree, wall or other vehicle, from a long distance so they can be sure that they can make contact? They do not “veer” suddenly into someones path even though lawyers, judges, and jurors would like to believe so.

But how easy would it be to line up a “victim” in the very last second or seconds before impact. Make this mind experiment: pretend you are travelling 86 mph and another vehicle is travelling 31 mph toward you, how good are you going to be at aiming your vehicle into a head-on collision that will assure your death?  Do you turn your steering wheel 30 degrees at 2 seconds before impact or do you turn it 5 degrees at 5 seconds before impact? Did anyone in the courtroom know? Did anyone actually perform any kind of test to determine whether this would be such an easy task for a 16-year-old female?

Why did Ms. Winter decide to pick this complicated scenario to do herself in, in the middle of a construction zone where the narrowed confines might lead drivers to possible lose directional control of their vehicles. Google maps indicates that the highway was straight as an arrow. Why not aim for something that is more accessible, that is standing still and easier to hit such as a tree, wall or something very large like a transport truck? Was the court informed that many suicidal drivers were pick such “victims” because these suicidal drivers can be more certain of their success?

Ms. Winter was found guilty of homocide and was sentenced to 30 years in jail for an incident which she cannot remember because the her brain injury. But that is not the point. I have grave concerns about the manner in which our courts operate. We are very much controled by judges, lawyers and jurors who might as well be blindfolded and ear-plugged when it comes to understanding the evidence that is before them. Combined with “experts” from all sides who are either hired by the crown (state) or by the defence or plaintiff and these fine persons are able to make water flow uphill and ghost vehicles pass each other through some form of vaporization device developed on the starship Enterprise. No one in the whole troop is obligated to find the truth without twisting, sensationalizing or using some hypocritical logic to get at what they want to see happen.

In the end I see many victims, obviously Jason and Erin Thompson and Caden Odell, and their families. But I also so Justine Winter and her family. I see all these people caught up in a crazy scenario that fate has thrown at them and some are left behind to try to make sense of it, if they can. I also see a system of investigation and judgment that is twisted and broken. Investigators who do not understand the meaning of evidence. Lawyers who are interested in doing whatever it takes to win a case. Judges and juries who are not equipped to deal with the complications of modern evidence and have no impartial expert to steer them along a proper course.

This matter is now to be delivered to a Supreme Court, in Montana, I believe, where an appeal to the verdict will be heard. Whatever the result I hope that it is based on a clear understanding of the objective evidence. Let me repeat, objective evidence.

October 30, 2011

Young Driver’s Life Is Claimed in Highbury Avenue Rollover Collision

A fatal, loss-of-control, rollover collision occurred this early morning on Highbury Ave South, between Manning Drive and Glanworth Drive, just on the south border of London, Ontario. A Mercedes was travelling northbound on Highbury and approached an S-curve. Just as the Mercedes entered the curve it travelled onto the east shoulder and then into the grass roadside. There were no tire (yaw) marks to indicate that the vehicle was out of control prior to travelling off the road. However, once it came off the paved surface there was clear evidence of its counter-clockwise rotation. As it reached an approximate 45 degree angle it struck the earthen embankment of an access driveway leading to a farm field. This projected the vehicle into the air and caused it to commence tumbling for approximately 82 meters. The vehicle came to rest on the east gravel shoulder. Although the 16-year-old driver was reported to have been ejected from the vehicle there was no physical evidence to determine where the ejection occurred or where he actually came to rest.

The mystery at this time is in determining what caused the young driver to travel off the road surface. Undoubtably the police investigation will confirm that the young driver was travelling at high speed but that in itself is not what caused the vehicle to travel off the road surface because the vehicle left the roadway before the curve, not while attempting to negotiate the curve. Several possibilities exist including that the driver may have fallen asleep or was otherwise incapacitated. But other possibilities include the involvement of another vehicle or other vehicles.  A skid mark from a dual wheel, typical of a heavy truck, existed in the straight portion just south of the curve and this evidence could be related. However this cannot be determined without knowing if the police have spoken to witnesses or other drivers who may have been in the vicinity when the incident occurred.

The lack of yaw marks on the paved road surface is uncommon and may indicate that the driver of the Mercedes did not lose control of the vehicle until after if left the road. However, if there was substantial dampness of the road surface, which is not uncommon on cold fall nights, then the opportunity to produce such visible yaw marks would be diminished. Hopefully further information will be revealed from the police investigation shortly.

October 26, 2011

October Typically Busy Time At Gorski Consulting

While it is apparent we have not been preparing many articles on our Articles webpage in the last couple of months this is only because this has been a very busy time as it usually is every year. There have been a number of important collision events occurring around us that deserve comment however we are firstly committed to handling the files of our clients. When time permits extra-curricular examinations of sites and testing is done, reported and summarized in articles.

So this note is meant as a brief apology and to indicate we will likely be freed up somewhat in a couple of weeks and will continue adding new articles at that time. In the meantime we can only make brief comments in this news section unless something quite critical becomes necessary to be discussed.

October 22, 2011

Drivers Dying of “Medical Conditions” at an Unusually High Rate

On October 19, 2011 an 81-year-old male driver was killed following a head-on collision on Longwoods Road just west of Dew Drop Line, just west of Thamesville, Ontario. It was reported that the man was driving a Dodge Intrepid and that his vehicle crossed the centre-line of the roadway when it collided with an eastbound Ford which was occupied by three women from the Thamesville area.

The roadway itself was in good condition and was straight and level. While commonly a driver may lose directional control of his vehicle while wandering off the right asphalt edge, this was particularly uncommon at this site because there was additional pavement of about 0.70 metres width between the white lane edge line and the edge of the pavement.  There were also not pre-crash yaw marks that would indicate that the Intrepid was rotating before impact. It appears that the female driver of the Ford managed to steer away from the impact to a substantial degree as the gouges from the impact were located at the south edge of the pavement. Furthermore, the Ford travelled south-east about 10 metres into the south ditch. The deceased’s Intrepid also continued westward after the impact and gouges in the gravel shoulder and grass ditch suggest that the vehicle may have rolled over before coming to rest about 33 metres west of the impact. This would suggest a substantially greater speed on the part of the deceased although the female driver of the Ford likely reduced her speed significantly before the impact occurred.

There is not obvious explanation for why the elderly driver’s vehicle crossed the roadway centre-line just before the crash. Walnut trees located about 150 metres east of the impact had shed their nuts from their overhanging branches onto both sides of the road surface and this is an interesting though unknown if related factor.

Lately there have been a number of “medical condition” causes reported in fatal and serious personal injury collisions in the area. A similar result occurred just south of Brucefield, Ontario on October 1st, 2011. In that collision a relatively young male driver had his vehicle travel into the east ditch of Highway 4 (London Road) with little evidence of any pre-crash loss of control. The complicating factor in that crash however was that the local road works department has just re-paved the roadway and the gravel was piled up away from the asphalt edge resulting in a possible safety issue. Although matters like this are officially noted as caused by a medical condition we must always remain watchful of other factors that are not always revealed in the official news media.

Heavy-Laden Trucks Travel Long Distances After Impact & Make If Difficult to Assess Speed and Fault

The fatal collision of a heavily-laden transport truck that stuck and killed 66-year-old Keith Smith on October 19, 2011 is not exactly a clear-cut fault issue. It was reported that 32-year-old Jonathan Gordon of Warwick Township was driving the truck westbound on Ilderton Road and as he approached the intersection with Vanneck Road Smith accelerated southbound in his Volkswagen and was struck at his vehicle’s driver door. There should always be concern when, following such a crash, the transport truck travelled an additional 246 metres to its final rest position on the north shoulder of Ilderton Road. The final rest position of the Volkswagen was never clearly defined but the evidence suggested it might have been carried a long distance along the truck’s post-impact path.

While it is true that the transport truck would need a long distance to come to a stop that should not preclude the investigation’s termination without further evaluation. Certainly many modern trucks are equipped with “black boxes” in their engine control modules (ECMs) that can be down-loaded to determine speed and other factors. But one can also consider a time distance analysis.

For example if the truck was travelling 90 km/h (25 metres every second) and the Volkswagen took about 3 to 4 seconds of motion to reach the point of impact, this should suggest that the truck driver should have had an opportunity to commence braking before reaching the point of impact. But no pre-crash tire marks were found. That does not tell the whole story because fully-laden trucks often will not have the capability to lock their wheels simply because there is much greater force required to do so. But certainly we could expect braking at a level that was near its maximum. Even at a deceleration rate of 0.3g and a braking distance of 246 metres these facts would indicate a pre-crash speed of 137 km/h. Something to think about. Certainly not conclusive but something that should be confirmed before walking away and saying it was all the fault of the deceased.

October 10, 2011

Fatal Rollover Results in Death of Passenger of Sunfire

Last evening, October 9, 2011 a 1998 Pontiac Sunfire was involved in a single vehicle  rollover collision that claimed the life of its, passenger, Johan Thiessen Penner, 24, of Leamington, Ontario. It was reported that the vehicle was travelling northbound when its driver attempted to pass another northbound vehicle. The Sunfire travelled onto the west roadside where it struck two mailboxes while rotating clockwise. While rolling over the vehicle then crossed the road and came to rest on the east edge of the asphalt. The distance from entering the west gravel shoulder to the area of final rest  was about 105 metres. Using a drag factor over the total travel distance of about 0.4g would result in an initial speed of about 103 km/h. If we have the time an article will be placed on the articles page of this website showing the details of what was encountered at the accident site.

October 2, 2011

Mysterious OPP Cruiser Crash at Colonel Talbot & Littlewood

Other than a brief mention on London’s CTV News yesterday, there has been no mention of any details about a crash between an OPP cruiser and a passenger car that reportedly caused serious injuries to two police officers.

The evidence of a collision exists at the intersection of Colonel Talbot Road and Littlewood, just north of the Highway 4 interchange of Highway 401. It is apparent that a southbound vehicle collided with a westbound vehicle but the evidence indicating which direction the cruiser was travelling is not clear. The site was made clean of almost all debris so the only way to tell that a collision occurred was from the tire markings in the intersection and the subsequent gouging of the southwest roadside ditch. Even the evidence in the ditch was very much destroyed as the tow truck dragged at least one of the vehicles directly through the evidence that was caused by the crash, as shown in the site photo below.

The intersection is controlled by a traffic signal.

There is evidence that police used a total station to map out the site and this is also unusual because this would not be done in a typical accident unless there were life-threatening injuries.

In all, the mystery behind this event will remain unless further details are released. But certainly the public should be informed of the details whenever police are involved in a serious crash.

UPDATE: OCTOBER 2, 2011, 2115 HOURS

The London Free Press has just filed a report indicating that the collision is being investigated by Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU).  They confirmed that two police officers and two civilians were taken to hospital but none of the occupants’ injuries were considered life-threatening.

What will happen now is that all information about the event will be withheld and the SIU will eventually present a very sparely worded comment upon completion of their investigation that an officer(s) was or was not guilty of a criminal offense. But this is not what the public should accept.

There are many instances where the actions of police do not reach the “without reasonable doubt” threshold of a criminal act yet the public should be made aware of police behaviour that needs adjusting. Certainly an issue of concern that has been raised many times over is the incidence of police involvement in collisions when they are responding to a call, or sometimes not. When the public does not obtain clear information about the extent of the problem, or even if a problem exists, many complications develop that become harmful, not only to the public at large, but also harmful to the police when persons develop a misunderstanding of their actions.

UPDATE: OCTOBER 3, 2011, 1100 HOURS

A little further mystery has been peeled away from this incident. London’s CTV news displayed the collision site last night showing the rest position of the “public” vehicle in bottom of the grassy ditch and an OPP cruiser is shown in the field about in the location of the tire marks in the above photo. If the OPP cruiser shown in the field is the one that was involved in the crash then it would suggest that both vehicles seemed to be “glued” together as they moved away from impact along the wide intersection and that they f0llowed the same post-impact path. That is possible but it is not common. If such a sustained contact occurred then it is not clear why the OPP cruiser travelled so much further than the “public” vehicle since, if they are welded together, they should attain about the same post-impact velocity.

It is possible that the Cruiser was actually travelling much faster than the “public” vehicle and both vehicles just happened to follow the same post-impact path. But it is strange that the tow truck would run over the tire mark evidence produced by the cruiser as such evidence could be crucial in estimating the speed of the vehicle. Normally, cruisers are now equipped with event data recorders that should provide information about vehicle speeds but still, destruction of physical evidence like this is unusual. The tow truck could easily have followed a path back onto the road along a fairly flat portion of the field toward the north as shown in the photo below.

Again the video did not show very much damage to either vehicle but that may simply be the common practice of many news media of not showing the portions of the vehicles that sustained the damage.

UPDATE: OCTOBER 3, 2011, 2100 HOURS

The SIU is reportedly looking for witnesses to the crash that has sent two police officers to hospital. The site at Colonel Talbot and Littlewood is controlled by a traffic signal. It is not clear what the issue may be other than perhaps there could be uncertainty as to who had the right of way. At this time very basic information as to who the officers were or from which detachment has not been indicated nor has it been explained which direction each vehicle was travelling. The travel directions could be easily determined if CTV News had videotaped the damage to the vehicles but this has not been done.

September 28, 2011

Mount Salem Site of Fatal Collision Involving Alcohol Impaired Driver

It has been reported that 24-year-old Craig Duncan Chittenden of Malahide Township, has passed away as a result of injuries he suffered in a collision that occurred about 0550 hours on Sunday morning, September 25, 2011. The collision occurred at the intersection of Springfield Road and Calton Line in Mount Salem, south-east of London, Ontario. Chittenden had been travelling northbound on Springfield Road when his Pick-up truck was struck in the right side by the front end of another pick-up truck that was headed westbound on Calton Line.

The evidence at  the site of the collision clearly indicated that the westbound vehicle had passed through a stop sign, likely at highway speed when it struck Chittenden’s vehicle. This violent event took place when the speed limit for both roads was only 50 km/h. The 1999 and 1998 GM pick-up trucks involved in the collision were equipped with event data recorders but it is questionable whether they were of the kind that would provide pre-crash data. Certainly the 1998 truck would not be so equipped but in 1999 there was a change-over in the recording capability such that the possibility of such data is still possible.

The westbound vehicle travelled about 41 metres from impact to rest while the northbound vehicle travelled about 32 metres. Such post-impact travel distance themselves speak of a highway speed impact.

The westbound driver has been charged with alcohol-related charges.

UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 29, 2011, 2030 HOURS

Peter Friesen, 23, of Mount Salem, Ontario has been identified as the driver of the 1998 GMC pick-up truck that struck a 1999 Chevrolet pick-up truck and killed Craig Chittenden on Sunday, morning, September 25th. As a result of the death additional charges have been laid against Friesen including criminal negligence causing death. Friesen was reportedly held in custody until a hearing, the date of which has not been consistently reported by the news media.

It is clear that the Chevrolet pick-up truck operated by Chittenden rolled over shortly before it came to rest on a lawn north east of the intersection. Such results cannot be predicted nor expected but are the consequence of a major collision where the post-impact vehicle trajectories are affected not only by the speed of the vehicles but by their rotations and the damage caused to the portions of the vehicles (wheels) that are in contact with the ground.

At close to 0600 hours on a Sunday morning it is not common for two vehicles to meet on a quiet, village intersection and collide when travelling at speeds that are likely higher than the speed limit (50 km/h). Yet the circumstances reveal how one cannot predict what events may unfold.

September 25, 2011

Loss of Control Rollover Results in Death of Driver

A King Township (north of Toronto, Ontario) man, reportedly found deceased in the middle of Concession Road 11 is an unusual occurrence when the 2001 Ford Escape in which he was reportedly travelling was found rolled over in a nearby ditch. This occurred last night, Saturday, September 24th, 2011.

Rollovers almost exclusively involve a progressively greater lateral fish-tailing or yawing before the vehicle reaches a sideways orientation and then rolls over.  Also occupants of such a vehicle are almost exclusively ejected through side windows. When you combine these facts it becomes rare for a vehicle to tip over within the road surface and spill the occupant onto the road while then the vehicle progresses into a ditch. Instead, the ejection occurs predominantly after the vehicle exits the road surface and most often after the vehicle has been tripped up within the softer earth of the roadside.

In this case, police should be looking a little more closely than normal for signs of that this was not just a typical rollover.

September 20, 2011

North Adelaide Jogger Has Passed Away

Regrettably, it has been reported that the female jogger who was struck on the morning of September 11th, 2011 near the intersection of Adelaide Street and Ten Mile Road, has passed away.

Although this is an uncommon occurrence we need to remind readers that such a danger exists and is largely unknown to most. As an accident reconstructionist I have had to examine many collision sites where I have had to stand on a highway and take photographs and measurements. It took me too long to appreciate that, while standing there it was necessary to be cognizant of traffic coming from both directions even though I might have been standing in only one of the two lanes. Consider that when a vehicle makes a passing motion it uses the opposing lane for that purpose. In one instance I was standing partly in a lane and such a passing vehicle brushed past me at tremendous speed from behind my back. It was a lesson I quickly learned that I could not expect traffic to approach from only one direction in a lane just because that lane is so designated.

These are ideosyncracies that many pedestrians are not aware of until something unfortunate happens. With the present scenario of this jogger the situation was somewhat different and difficult to avoid as there was a major collision behind her and this caused one of the vehicles to be re-directed into her path. Even if she had been jogging on the shoulder or even on the roadside grass the same result could have occurred. For this reason it truly is an unfortunate circumstance.

Dangerous Georgetown Road Was Not Likely The Cause of Fatality – But Cause Still Not Clear

Much concern has been expressed by residents in the Georgetown area of a steep downgrade of Tenth Line as it contains a stop sign with its intersection with 22nd Side Road just north east of Georgetown. So much concern had been expressed that Halton Roadway authorities had placed a flashing beacon at the intersection along with additional signage. Unfortunately this is a cosmetic cure as the steep down-slope is still present and under conditions of snow or rain the ability of drivers to stop will continue to be challenged.

A 21-year-old Georgetown man was killed on Saturday at approximately 0200 hours as his Honda was travelling toward the steep downgrade and his vehicle went out of control and struck a small tree on the left roadside. Many residents have suggested that the down-slope was responsible, to the point of writing comments on the “Steep Down-Grade” warning sign as shown below:

While I sympathize with the residents’ concerns, the present fatal collision occurred at the top of the down-grade and before the vehicle reached the noted problem. For example, the down-grade at the point where the vehicle’s loss of control marks first became visible was only about 5.3 %. At the point of impact with the tree the slope, another 41 metres down the hill, was still about 9.4%. The greatest down-slope occurred beyond the ares of impact where the slope was about  11.9 percent and this steep slope carried on for almost the full 230 metres past the tree impact to where the intersection with 22nd Side Road was located.

In fact, the loss of control events did not initiate where the tire marks first became visible because at that point the vehicle was already in an obvious yaw rotation. Something occurred near the top of the slope or at the point where the Honda first made it correction in travel direction as it began to move into the curve. A gravel driveway located just under 100 metres back from the tree impact is one possible cause for loss of control but there was no physical evidence there to tie that to the actual collision.

The circumstances that led to this tragedy are still unknown to me.

September 12, 2011

It has been an unusually busy few days with several fatal collisions occurring.

In Woodstock, a woman reportedly died of a medical condition as her westbound vehicle veered off the road and struck a chain link fence. Much like the London Transit bus from Friday, the upper pole of the fence was knocked out of it moorings but did not penetrate the vehicle’s windshield. At the same location a bicyclist was reportedly struck and sustained minor injuries.

In Lambton County two persons from Wallaceburg sustained fatal injuries after an eastbound motorcycle crashed into a northbound car at the intersection of Brigden Road and Lambton Line. This would appear to be another unfortunate circumstance since it is rare that collisions with motorcycles result in fatal injuries to car drivers. In this instance the motorcycle would most likely have struck the driver’s door in order to cause this result.

A couple of dirt bike collisions have resulted in severe injuries and fatalities. One person was fatally injured in the Mount Brydges area while two others are in critical condition following a collision near the Woodstock area when their dirt bikes collided while approaching from opposite directions.

Overall it has been a very unpleasant result. We need to keep vigilant.

September 11, 2011

Jogger Unfortunate To Have Been Struck By Unusual Circumstance

A jogger was struck and reportedly sustained life-threatening injuries at the intersection of Adelaide Street and Ten Mile Road, just north of London. The collision occurred at about 10:20 A.M. this morning when a Montana van, travelling eastbound on Ten Mile Road stopped at the stop sign with Adelaide Street. After letting the jogger pass by the intersection the Montana driver pulled into the intersection and was stuck by a southbound Chevrolet Pick-up travelling on Adelaide. In the process of attempting to avoid the collision the Pick-up driver steered toward the centre of the road but was unable to avoid the collision. Unfortunately this avoidance attempt might have made the truck travel into the path of the jogger who was struck and pushed into the east roadside of Adelaide. Our article photos of the evidence at the site are available in an article on the Articles page of this website.

September 9, 2011

London City Bus “Harpooned” Without Apparent Notice & Hopefully Without Major Consequence

A major collision, reportedly involving non-life-threatening injuries, has occurred at approximately 1705 hours today at the intersection of Commissioners Road and Wellington Road involving a northbound London City Transit Bus and a Black, Crown Victoria passenger car that was attempting to make a left turn from southbound on Wellington Road to eastbound on Commissioners. By chance I happened to have been stopped at the traffic signal on Commissioners, facing eastbound when the impact occurred.

While much of the attention will be focused on the left turn of the car and the subsequent rest position of the bus, it is unlikely that anyone will have realized that the occupants of the bus may have missed being seriously injured or killed, not by the impact itself, but by the horizontal, upper anchorage bar of the chain link fence through which the bus travelled en route to its rest position. This horizontal bar entered through the windshield of the bus and at final rest the end of the bar was pointing directly into the bus driver’s seat. Whether in fact the bus driver was struck by the bar we may soon discover. But regardless of the end result, we are simply left unaware of these dangers.

An article with on-site photos has been posted on the Articles page of this website.

September 8, 2011

High Speed Maximum Braking Tests – Photos of Resulting Evidence

Last month Gorski Consulting was involved in some high speed braking tests with a new vehicle equipped with a modern, anti-lock braking system. The results from that testing included some detailed photos of the skid marks. While investigators have expressed concern that skid marks would no longer be visible during their reconstructions of accidents our testing clearly demonstrates that skid marks can be very visible depending a the unique circumstances of each collision. An article about these results is available for viewing on the Articles page of this website.

Crash of London City Police Cruiser

Yesterday evening at approximately 2100 hours a London City Police cruiser was involved in a collision with an SUV at the intersection of Highbury Avenue and Hamilton Road in London, Ontario. The cruiser was reportedly westbound on Hamilton road and had its siren and emergency lights activated. The officer was attempting to reach the site of a robbery a short distance further to the west on Hamilton Road. Of photo of the cruiser showed extensive damage to its front end but no injuries were reported.

September 2, 2011

McEachern and Kaufman “Homicide”

Police have now released photos of the yellow Chevy pick-up truck that was allegedly involved in the death of Brett Kaufman in Kitchener, Ontario last weekend. The photos show no obvious evidence of damage on the front end of the vehicle and this is a clue to the manner in which events could have unfolded. As stated earlier, pedestrians who are struck and killed will usually involve a vehicle moving at relatively high speed and this will leave distinctive evidence on the front end of the impacting vehicle.

The lack of any obvious damage on the front end of this vehicle suggests various possibilities but the most common is that  the wheels of the vehicle ran over the deceased. There are also instances where a pedestrian is moving toward the vehicle and therefore the pedestrian’s head becomes exposed to impact, resulting in very little evidence of damage but major head injuries to the pedestrian. In either case this would make it more difficult for police to prove intent than if there was obvious damage on the vehicle’s front end involving major deformation and therefore high speed.

QEW Fatality From Object Striking Windshield

A small amount of additional information has been released regarding the fatal collision on the QEW yesterday morning. The driver of the Toyota was identified as Miguel Pena. Police now confirm they have possession of the object that struck the vehicle and that the object actually contacted the driver. But they are still not releasing the identity of the object. As we indicated in our article on this subject, the failure to disclose the identity of the object can be a double-edged sword if police hope to get further witnesses to the event.

September 1, 2011

Object Strikes Windshield of Westbound Vehicle on the QEW in Mississauga Ontario Resulting in Fatal Injuries to Driver

A 43-year-old male driver was fatally injured in a single vehicle collision this morning on the westbound QEW near Hurontario Street in Mississauga. But investigating police are reporting that the event occurred after an object struck the windshield of the vehicle and caused a “30-centimetre-square” hole. While police are searching for witnesses they are also not indicating why they are not able to identify the object, as if they are unable to locate it. You can read my comments on this in an article on the Articles page of this website.

August 30, 2011

Fatal Injuries to Brett Kaufman in Kitchener Ontario Incident Being Treated by Police as a Homicide

An impact occurred over the weekend in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, wherein the passenger of a pick-up truck, Brett Kaufman, exited the vehicle and was struck and killed by the vehicle which was driven by Norman McEachern. Police have charged McEachern with 2nd Degree Murder. The events reportedly occurred in the parking lot at Pioneer Park Plaza as well as on Homer Watson Boulevard near Hanson Avenue where the impact actually took place. Although an argument was reported between the two it should take more than that to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that McEachern’s intention was to kill his best friend. (An article on these events has been prepared in the Articles page of this website)

Regardless, this happening is a reminder that all motorized vehicles can become lethal weapons, not only by intent, but also through reckless neglect for the safety of oneself, and particularly the passengers of a vehicle.

Vehicles become lethal weapons in many instances but particularly in instances where young male drivers are involved who want to “show off” by speeding and involving themselves in dangerous acts. But this is not exclusive to this group as an immature driver, regardless of age, sex, or any other trait, can engage in similar behaviour. We can be reminded of two recent incidents, north of Toronto, Ontario where police officers lost their lives while attempting to stop young male drivers who accelerated in order to evade capture. The possibility of fatal results are no different than  if these drivers were in possession of a knife or fire arm.

The horror caused to innocent passengers by drivers gone out of control is most easily demonstrated in the very famous fatal collision involving Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed, and Trevor Reese Jones. In that crash, the driver, Henri Paul, took it upon himself to take his passengers on a mere 40 second ride, at tremendous speed, and likely horrified his passengers who would have no control over his actions. These events repeat themselves in many situations across North America. It is a reminder that, before we become passengers of any vehicle we should carefully evaluate the mental stability of the driver. And this is why parents should particularly be aware of the friends that their children drive with.

August 29, 2011

The following is being reported today in London, local news media:

“Chris Zoidis of Strathroy was crushed to death after he was run over by a skid steer while working at a subdivision at 464 Commissioners Rd. W. last Tuesday.”

Besides the wishes of the family, which need to be taken into account, the public has a right to know of significant events like these in a timely fashion. It is notable that this event took place almost one week ago yet nothing was mentioned of its occurrence until today. For important reasons our democratic systems cannot function properly when news is intentionally withheld my mainstream news outlets. While this may appear to be a trivial matter in my opinion we should be vigilant of instances where important news events are held from public scrutiny.

August 25, 2011

Police Fail To Report That A Traffic Signal Malfunction May Have Been a Factor In A Serious Collision South of Sarnia, Ontario On August 22, 2011

We rely on our official agencies to properly investigate motor vehicle collisions and report to the public about any dangers that they should be aware. It is disturbing therefore when I read in today’s Sarnia Observer newspaper that a serious intersection collision occurred on Highway 40 and Moore Line, South of Sarnia, wherein a traffic signal had reportedly been malfunctioning for a week before the collision yet this fact was reportedly not mentioned in the police investigation. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation who reportedly repaired the signal the day after the collision claimed that the signal was not a factor because the offending driver travelled through the signal on a red. Yet, a nearby resident was reported to state that the traffic signal had stayed red for minutes at a time preventing drivers from passing through the intersection. Surely the fact that this driver was frustrated to the point of crossing on the red should be of concern to all of us, particularly when the official agencies who have exclusive legal right to document this fact have apparently not done so. I have prepared an article on this point in the Articles page of this website.

August 23, 2011

A double-fatal collision also occurred on Kent Bridge Road near Chatham, Ontario a few days ago. It was interesting that the location of that double-fatal collision was not revealed until today and that the family asked that the identity of the victims not be released. Requests from the family are understandable but the withholding of the location of the collision by news media is not. Discussion of collisions where persons have been seriously injured or killed is never pleasant. Sometimes we must reach a balance between such a discussion and having compassion for those family and friends that are pained by the results. I have tried where possible to refrain from making hurtful comments but at times that is simply not possible when we must address a problem that the public should be aware of. I hope that those reading these articles and viewing my videos will become more educated about the causes of these devastating events. Speed, alcohol, inattention, roadway conditions, all these factors are often discussed in a dry manner and fed to all of us without any significant impact on our behaviours. Psychologists have long discovered that freightening people is also not a solution to a long-lasting behaviour modification. However, education is. The more we learn about something the more attention we pay to it and the more likely that we will be willing participants in changing our own habits.

August 16, 2011

A Charge of “Failing To Yield” Is Not Clear When The Other Driver Is Speeding

I examined the site of an angle collision at the intersection of Nauvoo and Egremont Roads in Lambton County this afternoon. Although only minor injuries occurred the collision was interesting from the standpoint that a northbound driver who entered from a stop-sign was pushed about 50 metres in the direction of the westbound vehicle. That westbound vehicle itself also travelled about 50 metres after impact. Such evidence should normally raise an eyebrow but police have laid a charge against that northbound driver. I am preparing a YouTube video that will explain the evidence. I will also prepare a written article on the findings shortly.

The issue of “failing to yield the right of way” is a continual problem when it comes to achieving justice in that police do not have the capability of determining the speed of vehicles on a through road when an intersection collision occurs. Even now, with the advent of event data recorders (“Black Boxes”) police are reluctant to spend the time to download the data in many minor collisions to confirm that their charges are appropriate.

August 14, 2011

I examined the site of a fatal collision at the intersection of Embro Road and Perth Road 26, south west of Stratford, Ontario last evening. Information about that examination can be found in the Articles page of this site.

Also, there have been reports of a motorcyclist fatality in the Newbury area, on Friday, August 12th, 2011. Newbury is located south-west of London, Ontario. It was reported that Gary Rooyakkers, 56, was travelling south on Hagerty Road around 2230 hours on his Kawasaki motorcycle when he went off the road and struck a fence and tree. He was reportedly not wearing a helmet and alcohol was considered a factor in the collision. A Google Earth view from 2009 shows that the motorcyclist would have approached a left curve as he proceeded southbound past Dundas Street in Newbury. Normally one would want to review the roadway conditions as well as issues such as alcohol and helmet use before leaving the public with the impression that the mere presence of alcohol or not wearing a helmet were the only factors the public need to know about.

August 12, 2011

Much police interest has been centered in the last 24 hours with respect to the woman who was struck and killed on Highway 401 near the old Highway #2 interchange at Woodstock, Ontario.

It is reported that the collision events took place at approximately 0230 hours on Thursday morning, August 11th. The woman was driving her Mazda passenger car eastbound on Highway 401 and then exited at the exit ramp toward Highway #2. At this point the Mazda was said to have rolled over several times. The woman exited her vehicle, walked around the tall grass of the area, and then entered the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 where she was reportedly struck by several vehicles.

Tire marks on the pavement of the exit ramp clearly show that the Mazda was yawing, or rotating about its vertical axis, within the exit lane. It is notable for example that the Mazda simply did not plow straight off the ramp as if she had fallen asleep. Events unfolded on the ramp which involved her active participation, such as steering.

Views of the Mazda at its final rest position in the field do not show any major deformation in the roof area and that provides an indication of a relatively slow exit and rollover to rest. Damage at the right-rear corner of the vehicle looks suspect but the distance from which the photo of the vehicle was taken does not enable me an opportunity to see the details of that damage. Given the relatively deep down-slope that the Mazda traversed off the ramp it is not surprising that it would roll several times, even at low speed before coming to rest.

The disturbing fact is that this woman reportedly entered the eastbound lanes after being involved in the noted rollover. What would be the point? If she was looking to get some help a more obvious path would be to walk to Highway #2 where the traffic is slower and there are buildings nearby where she might have an opportunity to contact someone. So why the urgency to get onto the 401 Highway?

Additionally, we have three witnesses of interest to police:

• The driver of a dark-coloured Oldsmobile Alero who was parked along the eastbound centre median wall with its four-way flashers blinking at the time of the collision;

• A man of South Asian descent in his mid-20s or early 30s, who was wearing jeans and a dark top, and was observed on foot at the scene before leaving, and

• The driver of a loaded flatbed tractor-trailer who was immediately ahead of the first vehicle that struck the woman.

Initially, the dark-coloured Oldsmobile Alero is rather peculiar since it is a rarity for vehicles to stop against the centre, concrete median. The fact that police seem to believe they have identified a vehicle that initially struck the woman indicates that they are not discussing all the details of what they have. For example, there is no description of the striking vehicle or driver.

UPDATE: AUGUST 12, 2011, 2130 HOURS

Since my posting of this morning police have now released the identity of the woman killed in this event.  She is noted as Maude Desgagne-Bedard, 29, of Gatineau, Quebec. I might assume from her residence that she may not have been familiar with this area, but none of such information in available to me. The question that puzzles me is, assuming she may be travelling to her residence, why does she turn off the 401 at such high speed that makes her vehicle travel off the exit ramp and rollover? And then why does she return to this busy highway where she is struck and killed? These questions are both puzzling and disturbing. I would like to believe that there is an innocent event here with no additional players…but. I am glad to note that the investigating police have sent a large contingent onto this site to look for clues. All of this may come out to be just nothing but I have this nagging suspicion.

UPDATE: AUGUST 14, 2011, 1425 HOURS

It is being reported that police have now located the driver of the Alero that was parked against the centre median of Highway 401 and this person was the same as the male witness who was on foot at the site. Police are now only interested in finding the flat-bed transport truck driver who was reportedly just ahead of the vehicle that initially struck the deceased.

I think it is owing to the public that news media acknowledge the obvious that nothing has been said about the vehicle or driver who reportedly struck the deceased. While it may be necessary for police to withhold certain information during their investigation the news media should not be participants in such a cover-up, particularly when a death is involved. There is an 800 pound gorilla in the room.

August 11, 2011

News reports indicate a woman was struck and killed this morning on Highway 401 at Woodstock, Ontario. Read my comments in the Article on the News Articles page of this site.

Not too far away, yesterday, at approximately 0300 hours,  the trailer of an eastbound tractor trailer unit grazed the bridge support of the Highway 19 overpass on Highway 401 at Ingersoll, Ontario. Fortuneately the light contact did not result in a high severity impact for the driver and the vehicle combination travelled several hundred metres east of the overpass before coming to a halt. Another lucky break but things could have been a lot worse.

August 10, 2011

While I have been busy with my regular file work for my clients, events have been occurring leading to the posting of several new articles in the Articles page of this website. You will note the most recent concerns regarding the site on Clarke Road in London, Ontario and the development of an edge drop off that, in my opinion, needs correction as soon as possible. Unfortunely the Ontario government Regulations state that no maintenance is required to repair the drop off. This is a dangerous outcome and bad legislation. You will note my strong opposition in the article entitled “Ontario Regulation Allows Existence of Dangerous Drop Offs at Edge of Asphalt Rural Roads”.

I am still experimenting with the creation of videos that will accompany some of the articles that I post. You can see these early trials on the Videos page of this website. I am not pleased with the video quality and am working to improve that, so standby.

I have also been noting a number of major collisions in our area resulting in post-impact fires. A recent inter-city bus collision involving residents from the London area occurred in New York state and it was lucky that the occupants escaped before the bus was engolfed in flames. But there have been several other incidents as well that I do not have time to go into. But the bottom line is these results should not be taken as matter-of-factly as they are. Vehicles should not be expected to catch fire just because they are involved in a collision. Federal Safety regulations in Canada and the U.S. require that vehicles pass fuel spillage tests before they can be sold. Where fires occur federal agencies such as Transport Canada or NHTSA should be notified and a proper investigation and documentation should be carried out.

July 22, 2011

We have only 13 old news articles to add to the Articles page and then we will be done. This has been a long process.

July 21, 2011

We are about halfway through loading our older News Articles on the “Articles” page of this site. But it takes time. Meanwhile we can begin mentioning so newer issues.

July 21, 2011

The Kitchener Record newspaper has been running several articles regarding the paving of Wilmot Line which had been a gravel road. In a rare spat the Township of Wilmot and the City of Waterloo are slinging mud at each other over the reasoning for paving the road. One suggestion was that it was for personal benefit of a local politician whose home is only a short distance from the project. This is an unfortunate and disguided contraversy and all involved fail to understand the real issue.

The real issue was noted in another Kitchener Record article entitled “Grieving Mother Wants Whole Country Road Paved”. This article dealt with Jennifer Price, a mother who lost her teenage daughter, Hayley Price-Geddes, 17, in a motor vehicle collision on the road when it was still gravel. I wrote an article about this accident a while back and it has been re-loaded in the Articles section of this website.

Jennifer Price is quoted as saying “I don’t think it’s very safe. Finish it. Don’t pave half. Get the job done”. My sentiments exactly. But I think the reason why there are polictical overtones to this issue is because no one really understands or is aware of the condition of the road on at the time of the accident because that information was never revealed in the investigation. Certainly the young driver may have been at fault but I do not have any information about the official investigation. What information I have relates to my examination of the collision site and what I reported on this website at the time. I am glad to see Jennifer Price speak up since no one else has. I may discuss this further and provide new evidence shortly.

July 20, 2011

We are continuing to load the old news articles from our previous website into the Articles page of this website. There are over 60 articles to add so this will take some time. Once that is completed we should be able to add news on this page of our latest collision reviews.

Just as as short note, we examined the site of a car crash on Marconi Boulevard in east London, last week where a stolen vehicle was travelling around a curve of the road at high speed. This vehicle slid off the outside of the curve and struck a house. The right front passenger remained in the vehicle due to his injuries while the driver fled and was caught by police. My examination of the site revealed tire marks at a distance of over 130 metres before the impact with the house. Even using a conservative deceleration rate of 0.3g would result in a speed loss of about 100 km/h, even without the damage caused from the house impact. But the vehicle also knocked down a small tree and a lamp post – all in a residential area where the speed limit is 50 km/h. The photos from this event would be interesting to show but I am still tied up with developing a procedure to organize the news in a proper fashion. So Stay tuned.