repton:
We may well never know for certain what caused it, as others have said it could have been a mechanical failure, some kind of health issue (like a heart attack) or simply bad driving by one or two people up at the front. As MrV said it is also possible that the person who caused it all didn’t even realise and carried on with their journey unaware of the carnage that happened in the fog behind them.
Paul
I’ll bet you my right nut, that it was caused by someone dithering out of the junction, and attempting to join the motorway at 40 mph without bothering to look in their mirrors.
Any takers?
That aside, thoughts to all concerned.
The TNT rig, was the Bodmin trunker, two up. They are apparently ok, after visiting Yeovil hospital.
There was a firework display taking place at the time of the accident,it said on the BBC breakfast news,that eye witnesses saw brake lights coming in everytime a firework went off,was the display too close to the motorway to provide a distraction to passing motorists,it would only take one driver to be looking for half a second to hit another vehicle.
The display was at a rugby club.
Thoughts are with the families that lost loved ones.
I’ve not read the whole thread but from the daylight pictures of the scene and the info that the weather conditions were not great along with a possible firework display at the time very nearby and the fact that the incident happened at the northbound on-slip it could be that one or more drivers were distracted at a hazard point
Purely from a safety and good driver point of view it seems that being too close is yet again a major factor just like it was for the 40+ pile up on the M42 a few years ago
jessicas dad:
i agree my comments were way out of order and im sorry i take them back.
Pleased to hear that, I know the full facts of the accident… NO I’ll call it a crash as it my not have been caused by accident were not known when you posted.
that is the long and short of it, when i posted my comment the full extent of the crash was not known as that was reported was a crash on the M5, as i has just got home after a dreadful journey from south wales after being out since last sunday my temper was a little frayed at the edges with peoples efforts at driving in the rain and traffic.
ive got up this morning and seen the sky news footage and im horrified at the scenes and have deleted my original comment on page 1.
Fair play to you mate,we all make mistakes and say things we regret afterwards at some point im sure.
Good on you for apologising.
back to the point.
deepest sympathy to all involved .
bigvern1:
It’s only a matter of time before this thread get’s locked. This only goes to prove, what I and others that have been shot down for . That there is a select few on here that stick together. And being as this waste of space is in that club. We will see the thread locked/ removed or receive PM’s from the chosen ones.
You’ll see.
Look mate I don,t want to get into a 2/3 page spat with you, but maybe you should ask yourself if a thread which subject matter is as tragic as this one is, is the right vehicle to further your agenda. For weeks now you have been banging on about how badly done to you are on this forum, and that you were finished with it, or words to that effect, so how come you keep coming back for more?? A guy comes on and makes a hasty statement, to which he later proves he is man enough to apologise for, so you jump on it, and you grasp the opportunity to complain about the problem you have with one or two on here, (I,m assuming that I am now on said list , but hey, so be it no sleep will be lost) so as I said mabe this is not the right thread, and a bit more sensitivity may be called for. and maybe a change of record.
As for the accident we should all realise it could have been us or our families last night, and I feel for all those involved that have been hurt or worse.
I was at the back of the collision site about 100yards from the car wedged under the artic trailer in the near side lane and arrived seconds after this tragedy started to unfold. My truck was right at the last few slip lane dashes and the trailer was just about central on the bridge over the river Tone. As I pulled up the car caught fire and the speed with which the trailer caught was absolutely shocking.
The first fire crew arrived about 3-4 minutes after the first sign of fire caught & all I could do was sit in shock and watch this ZB unfold in front of me. My heart was telling me to go help, god knows what, my head was saying get out the way and let those with kit, training and all the rest get on with doing they do. I counted 9 fire engines and 7-8 ambulances.
I couldn’t even make out the type of car but, as callous as this may sound, I hope the occupants were unconsious of killed in the initial crash because sitting and watching them die was truly horrible.
I phoned into the office to let them know and found out that colleague was inlvoved in the whole mess (Iceland). I have to tell you I have never felt more inpotent in my life. I did get to speak with my colleague by phone, several times over the next 6 hours, and he was one of the walking wounded, but emotionally he is in a bad place right now. He was checked out at Yeovil hospital and released about 03:00 this morning, the company picked him up.
Before then the fog was pretty bad between Exeter and Columpton, at one point I was down to just over 40, but in the immediate area visibility was not to bad. I have been told of some of the other accounts but with a police investigation ongoing and families mourning I will not repeat them here.
I was turned around at 23:35 and got back to my depot just after 02:15 after a difficult drive home with many folks driving at an irresposible, IMHO, speed in the patchy and sometimes dense fog on the A303,A37 and A361
In the car behind me was a lad from search and rescue. He was co-ordinating the helecopters. They were trying to land them on the northbound carrageway, but the fog was to heavy. I believe they ended up landing in the Sainsbugs carpark just off Jn 25
bigvern1:
It’s only a matter of time before this thread get’s locked. This only goes to prove, what I and others that have been shot down for . That there is a select few on here that stick together. And being as this waste of space is in that club. We will see the thread locked/ removed or receive PM’s from the chosen ones.
You’ll see.
Look mate I don,t want to get into a 2/3 page spat with you, but maybe you should ask yourself if a thread which subject matter is as tragic as this one is, is the right vehicle to further your agenda. For weeks now you have been banging on about how badly done to you are on this forum, and that you were finished with it, or words to that effect, so how come you keep coming back for more?? A guy comes on and makes a hasty statement, to which he later proves he is man enough to apologise for, so you jump on it, and you grasp the opportunity to complain about the problem you have with one or two on here, (I,m assuming that I am now on said list , but hey, so be it no sleep will be lost) so as I said mabe this is not the right thread, and a bit more sensitivity may be called for. and maybe a change of record.
Firstly thank you for your comments. Secondly, I ain’t your mate. And I don’t have an agenda…Merely an opinion.
I know who the people are that I’m ■■■■■■ with. You aren’t one. I don’t have any issues with the way I have been treated. You don’t get to be 17 stone and have small shoulders.
Not having a pop at the way this site is run. Merely stating that the post from someone was out of order. He’s now apologised. Fair point.
If you had noticed I had stopped commenting after he’d said his sorry. So record change?
My concern on this thread, is now for the poor people who have to go on after this terrible incident.
Have a nice day…
Dave the Renegade:
These multiple pile ups were a regular thing in the 70’s in patchy fog.I would have thought with more matrix signs etc drivers would slow down.A sad time for a lot of families RIP.
A terrifying incident that we should all be glad to have not experienced, but the above quote raises a pertinent point IMO. With increased traffic levels, increased speeds and people always in a rush nowadays, why aren’t there more such pile-ups? I know health & safety and vehicle crash protection has improved since the 70s but it seems to me that with climate change and less pollution, these obscured conditions are perhaps less prevalent than they once were? Although many people must have experienced them and they will NEVER slow down enough for the conditions IMO. People in a hurry on the motorway only slow if they absolutely have to e.g. for properly enforced speed limits, the presence of police or a view of an incident which I think tells you a lot of human mentality.
In the conditions described it could perhaps be argued that it’s safer to keep going and not risk being rear-ended by someone NOT driving to the conditions (NOT my particular opinion as you have to beware of someone slowing in front of you).
As for speculation about causes of this particularly nasty incident, witnesses said the fog just suddenly came down, i.e. they were doing motorway speeds into a sudden fog bank, presumably exacerbated by smoke from Friday’s bonfire night displays, a situation which they I bet they wouldn’t have been expecting despite warnings, and which could leave them completely blind at a stroke. A frightening situation which, if experienced, you hope ends swiftly without someone coming to a sudden stop in front whilst trying to avoid someone speeding into the back of you. Many people presumably passed through this point without incident. Unfortunately for those worst affected, it was possibly sheer bad luck to be in the wrong time at the wrong place. “there but for the grace of god” indeed.
shortfatbaldbloke:
Pleased to hear that, I know the full facts of the accident… NO I’ll call it a crash as it my not have been caused by accident were not known when you posted.
Things do seem a lot worse this morning, Just read "Chas’s comment, it made the hair on my neck stand up.
I don’t know if it is because I am getting older that things affect me as they do now (45) but I am easily affected by accident scenes where you know someone has been seriously hurt.
My thoughts really do go out to all involved and affected by this event.
I can agree about Chas’s post, it is that visit you never want, but if you know the full facts, the police would like to hear from you.
The only facts so far are, too fast, too close and thick smoke or fog
I live near the M62, quite close to the highest motorway stretch in the UK. In the fog/rain at rush hour (and we get a lot of fog), cars, trucks, buses all continue to drive too fast, too close and have a total disregard for the overhead signs warning them to slow down. I’m very sad to report that truck drivers are often as guilty of this as everyone else.
This kind of accident is a symptom of people disregarding the driving conditions. It happens so often and is such a waste of lives.
A lesson to us all that a slip in concentration can have catastrophic results.
this is what is wrong with this forum and JD,s comment and the first one that comes to his defence is a mod, Ok JD,s a man and apologised big deal the post should have been deleted straightaway by a mod!!
several other posts by other members have been deleted or locked in the past, the original comments were by far the worse I have seen on here in respect of the situation…
A friend of mine actually looked on here for info on this crash as his brother in law was driving M5 at this time, luckily whatever he was,nt involved, i,m just wondering how many others have maybe done the same? to be met by?
and a mod says JD hasnt broken any rules?? just basic common sense should tell you the comment was wrong and should have been deleted.
A comment just taken from the Mail on line.
i think ppl need to get a life im 23 yers old and my friend is fightin for her life due to this accident she has got to wake up to be told her dad and sister were killed and u all sit there behind ur computers moanin and commenting about speed and tryin to put the blame on someone or something please just be respectful and leave the commentin to ppl that do care !!!
Alex, thousands of truckdrivers leave their loved ones behind everyweek for 6 days at a time. Majority of them manage to behave like proffesionals. No matter how much of a tough week you are having, nothing excuses intolerence in others. If your tolerence levels are in question, to the point that you can make such a rash statement, are you confident that in a situation of frustration that you wouldn’t comprimise others with your actions on the highway■■?
I’m sure the answer to this is that you will always behave proffesionally, but it’s food for thought. A lesson to us all maybe??
I’m sure I must appear to be coming across as a sanctimonious knob, but rest assured, I wish you a good weekend with your family.
May god bless those that maybe missing some family members this weekend.
Rob
jessicas dad:
shortfatbaldbloke:
jessicas dad:
i agree my comments were way out of order and im sorry i take them back.
Pleased to hear that, I know the full facts of the accident… NO I’ll call it a crash as it my not have been caused by accident were not known when you posted.
that is the long and short of it, when i posted my comment the full extent of the crash was not known as that was reported was a crash on the M5, as i has just got home after a dreadful journey from south wales after being out since last sunday my temper was a little frayed at the edges with peoples efforts at driving in the rain and traffic.
ive got up this morning and seen the sky news footage and im horrified at the scenes and have deleted my original comment on page 1.
SWEDISH BLUE:
A comment just taken from the Mail on line.
i think ppl need to get a life im 23 yers old and my friend is fightin for her life due to this accident she has got to wake up to be told her dad and sister were killed and u all sit there behind ur computers moanin and commenting about speed and tryin to put the blame on someone or something please just be respectful and leave the commentin to ppl that do care !!!
Condolences to the families of everyone who died and prayers for those who were injured, the Rescue Services who tried to help and anyone who witnessed the appalling events.
In 1987 i saw the the accident at the top of the M61 when a tanker ploughed through a load of stationary traffic killing about 12 people sat in the queue in their cars. I never want to see anything like that again it was horrific. As the death toll rises my sympathies go out to all the families involved in this latest accident,
