Returning from Powell - crash victims' family copes with tragic loss

[dtown]

I read this this morning.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3708689

Really hit home with me. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family. I have been on that road with all of my family and dear loved ones soo many times. I tend to get very excited (especially on the way to the lake) and push the speed more than I should. This is a great reminder to slow down, be patient, and be safe, and arive alive!

I sincerely wish everyone safe travels this summer!

[jleger98]

Gotta be careful out there. I was just driving back from Idaho last week and some drunk-a$$ was running from police going west in the east-bound lane of I-94 just outside of Bismarck. We missed a head-on by seconds, thanks only to a local county deputy.

you just gotta pay attention and be careful.

[jwanck11]

Wow. Horrible. It is amazing how just a moment can change the lives of so many.

[talltigeguy]

Very sad. My condolances go out to the family.

Reminds us to slow down for sure.

I always worry when you see two trailers being pulled. I somehow had the impression that Utah law was that a passenger vehicle could not pull two trailers unless the first was a 5th wheel type hitch. A 29 foot boat and 2 jet skis is quite a load.

[jwanck11]

yeah, it is. especially when wind comes into the equation.

[dtown]

A 29 foot boat and 2 jet skis is quite a load.

The article said being pulled by an SUV. I sure hope it wasn't a smaler SUV like a ford exlorer, toyota 4-runner, etc.

Here in Oregon it always amazes me how big of boats people pull with smaller SUVs. In Colorado it seamed like almost every boat owner pulls with a full sized diesel truck. Maybe it is the Floyed Hill, Eisenhower approach, Vail Pass trifecta that separates the pullers from the fakers.

Regardless of vehicle, it isn't worth getting somewhere a half hour earlier... remember why se are all in this sport... THE FRIENDS & FAMILY!

Kind of crazy how they had just renamed the boat "A Better Place to Be".

[balair]

That is just too big of a load to be pulling with an SUV.

[skyski_tige]

they said it was a Diesel Excursion

[dtown]

they said it was a Diesel Excursion

Wow. I would consider that a serious tow vehicle. Really hits home... I sometimes almost feal invincible cruising down the highway in my 4-door F250 diesel. This is a good wake up call for me. I know I'll look at my Aug. 15th drive to Powell a little differently...

[noworries]

Its tragic, but he clearly exceeded his margin of safety as the evidence suggests. At five, ten, twenty MPH he'd have been fine. I can't contemplate a bumper pull set of wildly differing weight and length doubles being pulled by an SUV at highway speeds in a wind. Add the fact that he probably had surge brakes on the boat, and no brakes on the jet-ski trailer meant he had no chance of containing the double ended tank slappers that must have resulted. Maybe you could tow this load with a Hummer H1 "SUV," but even a 2500 Suburban or an Excursion with their car-soft suspension and tires would be lunacy with that trailer combination.

You never drive more than 60% on the road, whether that's measured by speed, load, or other constraining factors. He left the parking lot well above that limit.

If you want to bring the Jet-skis, we saw a boat trailer recently that was purpose-built with a tongue extended enough to bring two of the buzzing bees along. Otherwise, bring two tow vehicles. Include a couple of friends of the kids to justify it if you need.

[talltigeguy]

they said it was a Diesel Excursion

I couldn't see that anywhere in the article. I must have missed it.

There is some discussion on the website that it came from and they say that it is legal in Utah to pull two bumper pull trailers if the total length is under 65 feet. With a 29 foot boat, he would almost certainly have been over that. Considering the tongue length of both trailers, I would estimate the trailers to have gone over 45 feet. My Excursion (if that is what they were driving) is over 20 feet long easily.

That road is full of ruts and steep hills and sharp turns.

I don't discuss this to pick on the driver, I just hope that we can learn that it might not be worth it to haul that many toys, when the price of the trailer flipping is so high.

Noworries, good point about what kind of crazy mechanics happened when he hit the brakes with two trailers like that. Imagine the boat trailer starting to fishtail in the ruts and wind, you tap the brakes slightly, then the jetski trailer just thrusts the boat sideways, and before you can let out a four letter word, the whole assembly is rolling.

[skyski_tige]

I read that in one of the comments off of this link...

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3708689


ditto :+4 (show comment)
(No Subject)
Report Commentby Patrick F. @ 8:58am - Mon Jul 7th, 2008

They were pulling a 30 foot cruiser yaht and some waverunners with a diesel excursion. Very very sad. My heart and prayers goes out to there families.

[Moki]

I have traveled that road many times way too fast -- good wake up call to be more safe. My thoughts and prayers are for the family.

[H20SKIER14]

Very sad Deal I was about 15 minutes in front of the guy, my buddy Mike Oliver from Junction the one mentioned in the article was 1/4 mile behind him saw the whole thing happen and gave cpr for an hour and a half to one of the kids, we were supposed to be heading back to powell this weekend but sounds like my buddy is going to the funeral, and yes it was a diesel excursion. He said everyone had their seat belts on but were still flying out. The wind had to of been the major factor in this I was towing my 21i with a crew cab F-250 diesel and some gusts were even almost whipping me out of control.

[dogbert]

That's very sad. Wind can be kinda scary.