Dash cam footage from the OSHP shows the moment a semi truck slammed into an SUV that had stopped in the road, after being pulled over. Four people died in the crash.
The whole license system is pitiful - absolutely no focus on ability whatsoever - just cause you have a license doesn't mean shit. It's ludicrous to think all licensed drivers have equal driving skills - my 5' 0" 80 year old neighbor who can barely walk or see is good to go according to Johnny Law, as is her 16 year old great grand daughter...the prick riding your ass always, signaling AS you turn, if at all, dragging along in the left lane, cutting you off even though no one's behind you, going around train gates, cell phone idiocy, etc. etc.
@@carolconway8092 That's not really true. Local DMV's will know whether or not if you have a driver's license, and it will be reported to local police departments.
@@carlsaganlives4141 My firend was sick, having trouble walking but he insisted on driving and he would not listen to anyone. He was gone for a very long time. He came back fine so I forgot about it. One day I saw the front of his van and could see he was in an accident. He died 2 months later.
You are absolutely right about the brightness of the police lights from behind. They are right in eye level. And throw in that the police are usually in a dark uniform anymore. And it’s a recipe for disaster. They usually will change lanes for the blueberries. But ambers. Ambers forget about it .
Glad someone said it. Would be super hard to notice that car with the police lights right behind it. Feel bad for everyone involved. Hope the trucker doesn’t blame himself.
@@alexz1626 Lots of reasons for the trucker to blame himself. No.1. Slow Down & Move Over for emergency vehicles on the highway. No.2. Even though the lights of the squad were bright, it is still the responsibility of all drivers to watch where we are going & watch out for obstacles laying in the way, I.E. watch where you are going & pay attention on what's happening around you.
The thought process goes "if I stop in a live traffic lane then they'll have to let me go as it'll be too dangerous for the officers to get out and speak to me..." In there last split-second they found out WHY it's too dangerous...
@@MovieMakingMan So you think he should shut down the highway......most people have the brains to pull off the highway plus the cop was telling them to move over. Go back to your crayons you obviously dont drive.
Ugh u can see him JUST begin to move too :( he was a few split seconds too late, those poor people, and the poor cop who had to witness it, im sure he feels some kind of guilt, and the poor truck driver who would feel the worst kind of guilt
Someone who stops dead on a freeway during a traffic stop in my view is negligent and reckless despite being hit from behind. At that point you are endangering everybody's life in the vehicle. Probably didn't have a license or had priors....I feel awful people died but when you get behind the wheel of a vehicle....you've entered a killing machine. I hope that truck driver gets a good attorney.
He belongs behind bars....... you have to keep a lane open between an emergency vehicle with lights flashing if there's a lane available, which it was in this case.
However, you never know why someone may be stopped in the middle of the road. They could be having a medical emergency or car trouble. That's why the driver who hits from behind is at fault.
I feel so bad for the cop. I can’t imagine having to see that happen right in front of you and instantly realizing people just died. The semi should have moved over a lane just for seeing the cop’s lights but I don’t think they should be at fault. How do you just stop your car in a lane of TRAFFIC at NIGHT ??? You can’t tell if a car is completely stopped like that. They were careless and had no awareness of their surroundings
Car parked in a bad spot and the cops lights blinded the truck from seeing the stop vehicles lights most likely. Cops lights are to bright and i too have almost hit traffic cause i couldnt see past there flashing lights. Even when slowed to 60kms and moved over. They add alot of hazard to the road.
@@johnelder3978 No the red and blue police car lights didn't blind the truck driver. Additionally, Ohio law and most other states require drivers to move over a lane where police or emergency vehicles are parked on the shoulder. The trucker is 100% at fault.
I'm sorry to say so, but, wtf was that idiot thinking stopping in the middle of of the f*cking highway!!?? And no emergency flashers? Did that driver buy his licence? He was behaving like a complete novice. Worse than novice, actually. He was acting as tho he had never driven a vehicle before, or been on a highway.. . Nor does it seem that he ever learned what to do when a cop pulls him over... wow. What a costly, stupid move. Was the driver from another country, or a total novice driver? Did he even have a valid DL? (Defensive Driving suggestion: You can also pump your brake and the flashing brake lights may get the attention of the driver behind you. I do this all the time in the city and it has saved me from getting rear-ended several times. It's a handy habit. I hope it will help someone someday.) I imagine the trucker saw that vehicle, but only too late did he realize that the vehicle was stopped in his lane! By the time he tried to stop, he couldn't have. No big rig can stop on a dime. His ultimate liability also depends on how much he could see to react to in time to prevent the collision (was it a straight stretch of road, or was this on a bend?) For how long were the cop's lights visible? Was he slowing down upon seeing the red & blues? Was he trying to change lanes. Was he boxed in by drivers to his left.. These are important considerations. I agree, if someone is on the side of the road --ANYONE-- other drivers should ALWAYS move over and give them the widest possible berth. AND drivers must slow to 60 (km/h in Canada) when passing emergency vehicles like police, fire etc etc, as well as amber flashing lights of road workers, plows/sanders etc etc. Even if you're passing a car on the shoulder, whether it's broken down or fixing flat tire, you should move away and slow down!! Keep in mind too, if a car breaks down, it is possible thay it may not have functioning flashers (or marker lights) or other lights to get other driver's attention, so keep alert and slow down! What a needless tragedy.
The driver of the SUV was responsible for these 4 deaths. Who in the world that has earned a drivers license does not know to stop on the shoulder or a safe place? Safety before police instructions even. Even on the shoulder you are at risk and need to be on your toes. This accident and those deaths were completely unnecessary, very sad. Edit: taking into account the move over law, I must add that I still think the cause lies with the SUV driver, but the truck driver failed to act on the emergency lights and could have proceeded on the left lane as it was clear.
"…but the truck driver failed to act on the emergency lights and could have proceeded on the left lane as it was clear." Which made the truck driver at fault. Also, rear-ending a car that is stopped on the Interstate is still rear-ending a car that is stopped on the Interstate. What usually happens when you rear-end someone, do you blame it on them? See? Edit: I am absolutely not absolving the complete idiot who stopped in the middle of the lane. He may have technically caused it but the truck driver broke 2 traffic ordinances at least. If Ohio is a share state they might each get a percentage of the financial responsibility.
@@ut000bswhile you do have a point..the SUV was still basically begging to get hit..they were just stopped in the middle of a highway..who does that? Must not have a brain.
@@ut000bsDon't blame the trucker how in the hell was he to Know that this car was sitting still. Stop with that shit. I get so tired of people like you who think they know the law. Basically you don't know anything.
@@bolivingston1400 "Don't blame the trucker how in the hell was he to Know that this car was sitting still. Stop with that shit. I get so tired of people like you who think they know the law. Basically you don't know anything." Read that and imagine a 12 year-old wrote it. If I was driving and couldn't tell something in front of me wasn't moving I probably wouldn't be driving long.
Unleashed EyeEatFire the driver was pulling into the lane and the barely fucking speak English and the cop literally let them sat there like a idiot and the semi truck have to slow down or move to a different lane thats the law
@@MiMi-ut6hf You don’t need to speak English.. it’s common sense to pull the fuck over when police is flashing you… like out of the traffic lanes onto the shoulder… there’s clearly a reason why they make them… the cop didn’t let them sit there.. who the fuck stops their car completely in an ongoing traffic lane especially on a fucking highway?
I really wonder how so many people get licenses.... many have no business driving a push mower but they’re out there driving cars and trucks. It should be mandatory everyone takes a driving class and road tests lasts at least an hour to get a license.... trucks should be a several month process to get a CDL
Because they have gotten to lieniant not only passenger cars don't have to take much of a driving test where I live they do it on a very little traffic road and in a parking lot just because you can drive a 1/4 mile turn right and left and stop is not a good drivers test, I also have a long time good friend that drives he told me they have cut down training for semi drivers to 2 weeks and the put them on the road alone fully loaded. That's what is causing these tragedies, plus so many ppl do not teach their children about safety in cars or how to drive and just let them go get a license at a young age. I taught my children from the time the were very you 5, 6 years old until the drove you have hundreds of opportunities to teach them as they are growing up what to do and not to do, what to be aware of and the best reaction to any situation on the road. I have always told them it's not your driving you have to worry about sometimes, it's others. Thankfully both my children are excellent drivers I pray the are safe on the roads always
I got my CDL in Illinois back before we had a National CDL program. Illinois called it a chauffeur’s license. I took the written, passed it, and was given a chauffeur’s permit that I carried with my driver’s license. I spent a month, IIRC, learning to drive my employer’s trucks with a licensed driver next to me in the cab. When my permit was ready to expire I went down and took the driving portion. It was tough. But I aced it. That was in 1980. The advent of the auto-shifting transmission has made obtaining a CDL today a joke.
@@cherierandall2829no??? Its normal to see cop cars dealing with shit and hence having their red and blue lights on, if they want you to stop you’ll know, they usually stay behind you, ir theyll set up signs and shi with the assistance of road work safety. This was just a regular traffic stop, the truckie definitely did not realise the white car was still on the highway, and by the time he noticed it was too late
Move Over law requires drivers to move over a lane or slow down when approaching stopped emergency or maintenance vehicles with flashing amber lights. If unable to do so safely, you must slow down. That truck did neither.
I was a trucker of 19 years and all those rookie idiots are always in a hurry. This could have been avoided. Remember “expect the unexpected” as they teach in trucking school where did that go? Trucker was probably on the phone watching porno
I’m with you on this, I would always move over a lane anytime an emergency vehicle or even a car was on the shoulder regardless. Drove 4 18 years and was hit 3 times by four wheelers, not one accident was my fault, thank God.
@@erickenner4847There was a car in the left lane, trailing the wreckage. It was precisely where it needed to be, in order to prevent the trucker from safely changing lanes.
The trooper had his emergency lights activated. The semi should've slowed down and moved over to the number two lane. The semi had time and space to do this.
What you don't realize is that the car is in the fucking lane on an active highway which is a huge No No on the cops part. How blind are you to not see that this is a hazard regardless if the truck went into the other lane
Yes, the semi had time to move over, but the car needed to realize that you pull to the right shoulder. Everyone knows that, and if you don’t, you’re too young to drive.
Semi driver Charles Hunt was sentenced to (240days) or eight months and fined 2000 dollars for the vehicular crash on I-71 on 29 July, 2020. Hunt, age 56, pleaded no contest to four misdemeanor counts of vehicular homicide in Ashland Municipal Court.
It was also brought up in court that his cellphone had the RU-vid app open. While it wasn't conclusive it is and was questionable that he was watching videos while driving. If they had concrete evidence he wasn't pay attention, he would have been charged with more. The fact he braked AFTER the impact in roughly the same time frame it takes to react in a collision like that, was only circumstantial.
Got off WAY too easy. Clearly he was not paying attention despite all the people in the comment section defending him! All this babble about emergency lights being "blinding" is laughable. THAT is why when you see them you SLOW DOWN, knowing there is some type of hazard nearby! Its not rocket science. Thanks for posting!
That’s unfortunate that the truck driver was charged for someone else’s stupidity. But of course they’re gonna try and find what ever they can to pin it on the truck driver. The highway is not a place to park your vehicle dumb asses.
Trucker musta had a shit lawyer. With a car passing in the left lane, the trucker did not have the option to change lanes. I'm guessing illegal aliens at the wheel of that SUV. All of the dead had unmatching Asian last names. Plus, the trucker wasn't too bright either, and either willfully or through the incompetence of his lawyer, incriminated himself in court.
He looked to have brakes on. I drove semi for a few years and I’ll tell you that most can weigh up to 80,000 lbs and it takes time to stop that kind of inertia
@@johnboylong40 Looks to me like the brake lights don't come on till 12 seconds into the video, long after he is off the road. That and the fact that he didn't try and move over to the left lane says something. He had to have seen the lights if he was paying attention. Why didn't he move over, why didn't he apply the brakes before he hit the car.
Also locking up the brakes in that situation would cause a jack knife and likely a rollover. Potentially rolling onto the SUV and completely crushing it not only from the back, but also the top. He hit the brakes at 0:06, but you can't tell exactly because the lights from the police vehicle are so bright it's throwing off the camera's perception. The problem is those lights are so bright it's hard to see anything beyond the police car. He probably didn't even see the tail lights of the SUV until he was already hitting them.
This is truly sad to see. But why Are you stopping in the middle of the road? pull over! That's what you're supposed to do. Anytime there's lights and sirens move over to the right. Don't just stop...RIP
I think there is more to this. Check the brake lights of the truck, they never come on until both vehicles are way off the road. Truck driver may have been asleep or distracted??
It is very hard to see when you are approaching a police, ambulance or fire engine with it’s lights activated at night. Especially if they use blue emergency lights. The truck may not have even seen the car sitting in its lane.
I agree, and most people would believe the cop is dealing with a car that is parked in front of his own cruiser, not some inept driver still creeping along in the right driving lane.
@@throughthoroughthought8064 No. Reports said he suffered minor injuries and they would be minor, obviously, he’s in a god damn 16 wheeler. So that didn’t prevent him from hitting the brakes. He could’ve and should’ve hit the brakes much sooner, you know, like before impact… this is why he was found guilty. He openly admitted in court that he saw the suv up ahead. He didn’t want to change lanes because of cars behind him. There’s negligence on both sides here.
This is horrible!! Question is whose at fault?.. 1. It's law that you're to get in the next lane over when you see a cop on the side of the road with lights on (BUT...It coulda been on a curve, hill, or divet so the truck driver didnt see it coming) 2. ....it being at night, the tail lights prob blended in with the cops lights.... 3. not to mention WHO PARKS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD... ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT ***the officer is gonna have to live with that image in his head and so will the truck driver....this is sad all the way around
@@nicolae-alexandruluca7853 Not only that, but you can see the the trucker doesn't hit the brakes AT ALL! The first time he hits the brakes is a few seconds AFTER he has hit the SUV and is already well off the road. Think it's pretty clear the truck driver was asleep or distracted and never even noticed the police lights and obviously didn't see or react to the SUV in any way.
@pirtatejoe The trucker had youtube open on his phone. No proof he was actually watching it. He pled no contest to 4 counts of vehicular manslaughter.
@@valerierodger Thanks for the update! I had just seen in the comments everyone trying to decide if the people who stopped on the road were at fault an no one was commenting on how it's clear the truck never brakes until WAY after the collision.
Ohio has Move Over or Slow Down laws. I cannot tell if the semi slowed to a reasonable degree, but he definitely did not pull over. Even though the SUV was in the traffic lane, the semi failed to move over to middle lane ( this stretch of 71 is 3 lane) and there is obviously proof he had sufficient room and time to do such. Will be interesting to see if semi driver charged or not. Speed will definitely be factored in, to see if he at least slowed to a reasonable speed.
There may have been someone in the center lane so he couldn't move over, but he definitely should have slowed down in that case when he saw the trooper's lights, even though he could not have stopped if he was going even 40. People don't realize how long it takes to stop a semi.
Jan Swartz if that the case why don’t they post the full video to see who was in the middle lane and when he saw a police don’t he have some time to react and drove down on the grass Instead taking someone life.
Very sad. Stopping on the expressway, putting the car in park and foot off the pedal is so dangerous. Nobody can tell if the car is stopped until it’s too late.
@@farque1000 Yeah, it wasn't in park a fraction of a second before it was hit. For the entire time prior to that, the car was either in park or at the least, the driver had their foot on the brake.
@@coryCuc captain conflicted-about-the-obvious, the vehicle's brake pedal was clearly depressed. Brake lights were clearly lit from the beginning. There's nothing to suggest the car was ever in park. Not sure what Meghan Mcgrath was smoking, but you, Captain Cory, definitely got contact high
@@wedemboyz You do realize what the brake lights look like if a car is in park with a person's foot on the brake looks like, right? You might want to actually watch the video again, get in a car (since apparently you haven't been in a car in 20 years) and see how the car operates. Honest question...how old are you? I'm guessing younger than 25.
I've driven truck for over 26 years. That truck driver wasn't paying attention to the situation in front of them. The entire video shows absolutely no other vehicle in the lane to the left of the semi. Not one. The truck driver should have been in the middle lane in time to avoid that collision. The lights of the trooper alone was enough to move over. In Illinois he would be charged under Scott's Law for this accident I think. 100% avoidable.
You're a trucker, then you should know that i71 is hilly and curvy. He likely came up on that scene over a hill. Im a trucker and I wish he could have been in the other lane but i can't blame him.
after driving large vehicles, including city bus, you learned "always expect the unexpected". i'm damn certain the truck driver was charged with vehicular manslaughter. that bit of inattention turned deadly.
I used to drive a semi and I got rear ended hard enough it threw me forward out of my seat. A lot of semis have these "bouncy" driver seats that makes it easier to drive long distances over crappy roads. But once you get in an accident those seats turn into rollercoasters. The driver probably had to recover his position just to be able to hit the brakes
There were on before impact most likely, was probably loaded and sometimes they are at least 40klbs that’s not including the weight of the trailer and tractor
Perfect storm with everyone complacent: the SUV driver might have made a proper stop; if time permitted, the officer might have straddled the lanes (of course, putting himself and his vehicle at undue risk); and the truck driver might have approached the scene a little more cautiously by slowing down and moving over. No one expected this outcome, but the pain will last a lifetime . . . Condolences to all.
So this is probably a case where the truck driver was blinded by the Strobe lights of the police car and was UNABLE to see the car in the lane in front of him..
Though it was the law to slow down and merge left for all emergency vehicles. I know people are saying he was blinded by the light... no pun intended well maybe just a little. Anyway appeared to have plenty of time to merge left. Not saying the suv wasn't at fault for being parked in the middle of the interstate.
The lights are not blinding and it is very easy to see. The truck driver should have slowed down a lot and moved over a lane, what with that being the law and all.
Is it NOT common knowledge that EVEN THE SHOULDER, ITSELF, is dangerous? Because, it is. Ask ANY tow truck driver - but, you shouldn’t even have to. The driver of that SUV endangered everyone’s lives in and outside of that vehicle. I would imagine there’s a good chance the driver was getting yelled at by their passengers in their final moments, leading up to the collision. I have friends who have sued a woman, for leaving her SUV parked in the left lane of a major expressway through Chicago.
If you're going to be stopped in the lane of traffic, for God sakes put your 4way flashers on! That gives no excuse to the truck driver. Anytime you have police on the side of the road, slow down and move to the left!
why did car stop in the road and even if the truck hit the car at 40 mph it would killed any one in back seat this happens all time iv seen people stop on road change tire
I would to see the toxicology report on the SUV driver and the log book of the semi driver, as in over tired. Personally I am blinded by the LED wigwags on cruisers, wreckers, rednecks with 8 led road lights. Yes I have eyeball searing high beams, if you have never hit anything because you were blinded by an AH you have some living to do.
But semi truck drivers have no responsibility to watch out for anyone else? They're the ones driving the massively-heavy vehicles. Did you even watch the video? The semi driver was the one who plowed into the SUV, which had its brake lights on, without even attempting to move over or slow down. And yet you're over here saying it's other drivers who have to keep an eye out for semi trucks? At first your backwards comment was funny but then I realized it was terribly flawed and hardly amusing.
There is no such thing as a professional driver. It's a made up propaganda buzz word to lay blame for everything on a driver. Stop drinking the cool aid.
NEVER stop on the freeway lane, FFS !!! The truck also could’ve lowered his speed, moved to the adjacent line, seeing that something was happening (trooper car lights, stopped vehicle etc…)
So sad people died. Truck driver never hit his brakes and the car stopped in a lane. One being more wrong than the other doesn’t change the fact those people would be alive if the driver pulled to the shoulder then stopped. I really wonder how so many people get licenses.... many have no business driving a push mower but they’re out there driving cars and trucks. It should be mandatory everyone takes a driving class and road tests lasts at least an hour to get a license.... trucks should be a several month process to get a CDL
OMG! THAT'S MY WORST NIGHTMARE BEING KILLED LIKE THAT! 💔 WHY THE HELL DID THEY NOT PULL ALL THE WAY OVER!! WHO STOPS IN A LANE ON THE HIGHWAY LIKE THAT! ALSO THE SEMI NEVER HIT HIS BRAKES THO! HE NEVER EVEN TRIED TO SLOW DOWN!
This one is very hard to decide.....as drivers we all know not to stop on a road and surely not a freeway. We also know that when you see an emergency vehicle in the emergency lane we move over left to give room. I see two faults here....the suv stopped on an interstate and the semi didn't move left or slow down. There is no excuse for either.
7 seconds before the truck hit his brakes after impact.. He also should have known to get over with a cop on the right as well as slow down, cause those flashing lights are damn near blinding at night.
As a trucker, when you see emergency lights on aren’t you suppose to go to the next lane over if safe to do so? There appears to be no other car that would’ve prevent this “professional driver” from doing so!
Chances are not low this is the most retarded comment in the world you should be Sue'd for saying something so dumb 20000 people a year die from semis look up the math you need to wake up
Old video, but did you take notice how long it took for the truck driver to even apply brakes. While it was dangerous for the vehicle to be stopped there, they had their lights on and also the bright spotlight of the police on them as well. The truck driver was not paying attention at all.
THANK YOU! Finally a sane comment. I'm seeing nothing but people making excuses for this trucker. Its not that hard guys! Truck was going WAY too fast approaching emergency lights. Anyone who has been driving for even a few weeks knows you move over or you slow down! This driver did neither and apparently only got a $2000 fine and less than a year in jail! Way too light
Anyone else notice how the truck driver didn’t break until he was already up the hill??? He had to have either done it on purpose or been asleep, he needs to go to jail.
Well, it’s unfortunate that 4 out of 7 occupants of that vehicle had to die because the driver was either too inebriated or too stupid to pull over into the shoulder. It’s also pretty clear that something was up with the semi driver as his reaction time was severely impaired.
@@arkaem7549- that truck driver didn't apply the brakes until it was well into the weeds. Also, people keep talking about that car in the left lane...it was far enough behind that truck should have been well moved over. Too many shitty selfish ignorant a-hole drivers (including truck drivers) that don't move over or allow others to move over for roadside hazards.
@@arkaem7549 Surely you're joking and aren't gullible enough to believe that. If you're moving at 70 mph, that equates to traveling over 102 ft/sec. If you're closing on a stationary object that rapidly and you claim you can't tell if it's sitting still or not, you need to surrender your license immediately.
Allowing the police to place your life in immediate peril by stopping anywhere upon an interstate, even alongside it, is asking for a tragedy. Avoid this idiotic level of submission whenever possible, if you like being alive.
The truck was probably not paying attention or dozed off for a second . I noticed it took him a while to apply the brakes. He is at fault, but to what degree.Also he could and should have moved over. The failure to not know how to safely pull off the road caused the death of those
those trucks can be up to 80,000 pounds and take up to 30x longer than a normal vehicle to stop... he was actually on his brakes the entire time and let go at the end
@@cherrigirl81he wasn't paying attention, if he was he would have moved over the the other lane and respect the officer for stopping someone, u can see there wasn't any cars to his left so he had all the time in the world.
If that truck was speeding everyone would’ve called the driver a murder, but since he was not, everyone understand that the problem is the stationary vehicle
So retarded, like why fucking stop in that location like that. I literally can’t think of any possible reason for that. They saw that fucking semi coming in on their ass when they finally decided to move but it was too late.
Remember ppl and all you commentors. Trucks cannot stop right away there was a car in the left lane behind him and he didn't feel he was clear. Most u can do is slow down when passing an emergency vehicle that's pulled over and there was not enough time/distance to clear the idiot in the SUV
Trucker messed up by not slowing down and moving over for the stopped emergency vehicle and the driver that stopped in the middle of the road are both examples of the people on the road all day and all night.
@@mpscorporation6874 in Illinois Scott's law requires all vehicles to move over or slow down to 45mph or slower depending on location. You are required to do this for all emergency, tow trucks, cars broke down with 4 ways on. Failure to do so results in a fine greater then $1,000 and potential prison time if there is an accident resulting in injury/death
Let’s look at this from a different POV. The trucker had time and space to move over one lane and/or slow down, as OH law requires, when you see flashing lights (emergency or otherwise). He’s just as guilty here as the SUV driver. As a firefighter/EMT here in OH, many times have I seen ignorant drivers disobey this law.
