Still shook up from accident. OTR Drivers inside please.

Gray_Ghost

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If you've watched the news in the last week, you probably heard about the freak snowstorm in the Milwaukee area causing massive pile-ups. Well, I was one of the people in that mess. No, I'm not the guy that ramped over a car... But the accident was definitely the worst feeling I've ever had in my life. I was in a Kenworth T680 (road tractor) with a loaded 53' trailer when traffic started wrecking right in front of me. I was going slow due to it going from flurries to a whiteout in minutes, but even at 35mph I slid probably 50 feet into a car. No injuries to myself or the other driver. Then the **** hit the fan. I was rear-ended by a Honda Accord doing approximately 60-70 mph and it PUSHED my truck 5 feet... The driver didn't make it as he went under the trailer and basically peeled/crushed the top all the way to the B-Pillar on the car. I was also hit by several other vehicles on the sides of the trailer. I was not cited due to going so slow and my company and trainer (he was with me) felt that I couldn't have done any better in the situation. Unfortunately, I'm having nightmares about the guy that went under the trailer and it has almost crippled me mentally. It took me 3 days to get back behind the wheel and I've lost all my self-confidence in my abilities. This is a new job for me as I'm just about to finish my "training" and get into my own truck. But now I want nothing to do with it. I owe them a year to pay for the training, and I need the job, but I'm kinda lost on what to do. Any advice? And a video of the day's accidents with my truck at the end:

Chain reaction crash on Highway 45 caught on camera - YouTube
 

CompOrange04GT

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Same thing happened to one of our drivers.

He flipped his truck ( not his fault) and a car smashed into him and the driver died, and the guy was never able to drive again.

They say the best thing to do is just get back into it immediately. The longer you wait the worse it is
 

KurtDog

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That's a shitty situation.

All I can say is it was not your fault. The guy who hit you was driving too fast. Even if you managed to stop without hitting the car in front of you, the guy would have still hit you.

There is no reason to lose two lives over this accident. I'm sure the driver of the other car would not wish any ill will towards you. There is no reason for you to blame yourself.

I'm sure you feel like shit, but nothing you could have done would have prevented this. Don't let it ruin your life too.
 

slidai

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Don't beat yourself up. There is nothing you could do about it. You shouldn't feel bad over something that's not in your control. Even if you had come to a complete stop and didn't hit the car in front of you, that idiot was flying down the highway and the only blame is on him and the stupid driving he did. Maybe I am cold hearted but thats how I see it.

If it really bothers you, try seeing if there is any volunteering you could do or help get the word out about safe driving in hazardous conditions.
 

Ken03KBGTvert

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It happens. You can't let it get to you. I have driven a "big truck" professionally for 20 years, if you're out there enough, you are going to see things that you can't let get to you, whether you are a part of it or not. I've seen two this year that involved dead bodies, one this week that if there was someone in the passenger seat, well let's just say it would have been a closed casket. Like I said it happens. I've literally watched someone get ejected from an s.u.v. right in front of me as it was rolling over and over down the highway. It was like slow motion. She lived and honestly it was awesome.

Just because they hit the vehicle you were driving doesn't make it your fault in any way. If they didn't hit you they were going to hit someone else.

If you continue your new profession be prepared for a countless number of near misses that could have easily taken someone's life. Most people have absolutely no respect for big trucks.

Just be glad you're in the rig, we usually walk away unharmed.
 

Zemedici

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Perhaps some counseling?

Sorry to hear that man, I hope you get back into it. Dont let it ruin your life as well, then the wreck was in vain. Let it show you how dangerous it is, but also let it make YOU more careful.
 

Almighty-One

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That's a shitty situation.

All I can say is it was not your fault. The guy who hit you was driving too fast. Even if you managed to stop without hitting the car in front of you, the guy would have still hit you.

There is no reason to lose two lives over this accident. I'm sure the driver of the other car would not wish any ill will towards you. There is no reason for you to blame yourself.

I'm sure you feel like shit, but nothing you could have done would have prevented this. Don't let it ruin your life too.

I agree
 

wvmystichrome

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You'll heal after a time. A good friend of mine was on a strip site. Mechanic told him to come down to the service area. He checked out all of his cameras and looked around. He started backing up. He did not know the mechanic and two others had parked under the rear tires of the 100 ton rock truck. Needless to say he had nightmares and was sick for a while. He lost his job because they told him he should have climbed down off the truck and did a walk around. He found another driving job and kept on. It was hard on him and his family but time does heal wounds. Good luck and God Bless you.
 

kirks5oh

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Perhaps some counseling?

Sorry to hear that man, I hope you get back into it. Dont let it ruin your life as well, then the wreck was in vain. Let it show you how dangerous it is, but also let it make YOU more careful.

+1

I'm sure the company you just started working for has dealt with situations like this. I'm sure they would likely pay for counseling, since this happened on the job. It you want to keep it private, that's ok as well, but you may very well need counseling
 

kingCOBRAsvt_99

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Definitely sounds like counseling is the route you need to pursue. Pick up the phone tomorrow and contact your human resource manager.

While no one died I had a woman make a left hand turn in front of me while I was at speed @ 35 mph and I plowed right through her explorer in my 06 Lexus gs 430. It was not my fault but I was borderline suicidal because when I got out of my car she kept screaming for her baby. Luckily her baby was fine but I had nightmares over it. It took me months to get over it and I can honestly say I had the darkest thoughts of my life because of it. The only way to help the pain and stress is to talk about it, and your best option is a counselor. While not a substitute just remember there are countless good hearted brothers and sisters here @ svtperformance that will always lend a ear and heart that you can vent to.
 

silver03svt

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Driver, you have to come to the realization that people make their own destiny. You made yours by driving safely for the conditions. This is further enforced by your trainer saying that you did all you could do. Many people are idiot drivers, always in a hurry for no good reason. Speeding, following too close, unsafe lane changes, etc.....all unnecessary maneuvers. Not saying the driver that hit you is an idiot, but it sounds as if he was driving way too fast for the conditions if that car sustained the damage you mentioned. I know the ICC bumpers on trailers can take a helluva hit, and for a car to go that far under takes a lot of speed.

Don't let it eat you up. You are learning safe habits, and that is what 80,000lbs. of truck needs these days.

I say these things to you as a VA State Trooper, and I too have my Class A CDL from where I drove a truck prior to becoming LEO. People make their own decisions and some have deadly consequences. YOUR decisions were sound and level-headed. Don't allow the actions of other drivers deter you from a career you may find very rewarding.
 
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SVT F15O

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I'm really sorry you are going through this. I'm sure it is tough. Try and vent as best you can whether it be to a professional, family, on here or otherwise.

If you need to vent privately you can PM me. Stay strong and I wish you the best.
 

Planter

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Most people have absolutely no respect for big trucks.

spot on. I'm in CDL school now, and just being in the class has given me a new found respect for truckers, the job they do and just how big, dangerous and deadly the trucks they drive can be.

I started classes Monday, and just got my CDL permit today. I've been watching how I drive very closely since Monday in a more intentional effort to be more careful and safe, and it's been amazing to just study other drivers habits in rush hour this week on the way to and from class. I never noticed before, but 99/100 drivers, drive like absolute dog shit. No turn signals, they just cut right in front of trucks as if that truck can just stop on a dime and they don't realize it takes a truck moving at 60 mph, the length of a football field to stop, don't follow the laws or rules of the road, follow too closely, and on and on.

If you've watched the news in the last week, you probably heard about the freak snowstorm in the Milwaukee area causing massive pile-ups. Well, I was one of the people in that mess. No, I'm not the guy that ramped over a car... But the accident was definitely the worst feeling I've ever had in my life. I was in a Kenworth T680 (road tractor) with a loaded 53' trailer when traffic started wrecking right in front of me. I was going slow due to it going from flurries to a whiteout in minutes, but even at 35mph I slid probably 50 feet into a car. No injuries to myself or the other driver. Then the **** hit the fan. I was rear-ended by a Honda Accord doing approximately 60-70 mph and it PUSHED my truck 5 feet... The driver didn't make it as he went under the trailer and basically peeled/crushed the top all the way to the B-Pillar on the car. I was also hit by several other vehicles on the sides of the trailer. I was not cited due to going so slow and my company and trainer (he was with me) felt that I couldn't have done any better in the situation. Unfortunately, I'm having nightmares about the guy that went under the trailer and it has almost crippled me mentally. It took me 3 days to get back behind the wheel and I've lost all my self-confidence in my abilities. This is a new job for me as I'm just about to finish my "training" and get into my own truck. But now I want nothing to do with it. I owe them a year to pay for the training, and I need the job, but I'm kinda lost on what to do. Any advice? And a video of the day's accidents with my truck at the end:

Chain reaction crash on Highway 45 caught on camera - YouTube

I'm very sorry to hear to this man. best advice I can offer is to get some counseling, and work back into it and slowly build your confidence back up.

being on the line for cdl school and needing a job makes it tough, but take it as a learning experience, and a reminder of the respect you have to have in this profession.

I am NOT talking from personal experience. I just finished my first week of CDL training school and to be honest, I'm as scared and nervous as fresh ****ed whore in church to drive up on some of those high mountain passes, but I know if I'm scared and don't learn and don't do it, then I'll never get over it.

Don't let one bad experience ruin a career, get back in the saddle and try again. It wasn't your fault, you had no control, there was nothing better/different that you could have done.

good luck. :beer:
 

Gray_Ghost

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Thanks for the kind words everybody. I know that life goes on, but damn, seeing that car was rough. I've got a load headed to NY Monday morning then I will have enough miles to get out on my own. I'm going home for Christmas and hopefully I'll feel better after that. I haven't seen my family in a month and I know that's part of my being upset. Again, thanks guys. I don't want to single anybody out, but having a LEO (silver03svt) speak up helps a bunch. The officers on site told me the same thing and could only express appreciation for me slowing down and not doing what the other guy did. And Planter, if you want to talk to a fellow "rookie" hit me up.
 

95PGTTech

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Do you feel bad when an apple ripens and falls off its tree and smashes on the ground due to gravity? That's also not your fault.

It's a shitty situation. He should not have been driving like an ass in bad weather and he paid the price for it; usually they get to walk away, but he met Darwin in this case. Your truck was an inanimate object at that point. Had he hit another truck, another car, a guard rail, or otherwise non-moving object the impact and force would have been the same, the result would have been the same. He died due to physics, nothing more and nothing less.
 

R.D.P.

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Was going to ask if you went back and saw the car, hoping the answer would be no. Hang in there man and get some counseling. It will likely help.
 

Planter

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Thanks for the kind words everybody. I know that life goes on, but damn, seeing that car was rough. I've got a load headed to NY Monday morning then I will have enough miles to get out on my own. I'm going home for Christmas and hopefully I'll feel better after that. I haven't seen my family in a month and I know that's part of my being upset. Again, thanks guys. I don't want to single anybody out, but having a LEO (silver03svt) speak up helps a bunch. The officers on site told me the same thing and could only express appreciation for me slowing down and not doing what the other guy did. And Planter, if you want to talk to a fellow "rookie" hit me up.

yeah, take some time to deal with it, I've got faith you'll be alright.

and will do on pm'ing ya. I need all the easing of my mind I can get lol. :beer:
 

phillycobra99

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It happens, when I first started EMS it was a huge shock to see stuff that's worst than any horror film I've ever seen.

I promise you it does get better with time and you realize it's part of the job.

Feel free to contact me to talk about anything.
 

PaladinMan187

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Time heals many things. I got into EMS and actually happened across a wreck a friend was in. You never actually forget that feeling when you see the cars. I know where you're at. I still have nightmares about kids who were hurt or killed in wrecks.

THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO TELL YOURSELF is that YOU DID THE BEST you or any seasoned trucker could and YOU WALKED AWAY! You didn't control the throttle on the car that hit you and its nothing you could have prevented. Come to terms with that first and the rest will slowly fall into line. You have proof from troopers, trainer and the fact that you're still alive that you did the right thing. Realize it and believe it.

Please. Ask for some help. The sooner you get it, the sooner you can get back behind the wheel and get back on track with your plans.
 

dynasty_v6

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Agree with everything above, but must also:

It's a flaw with the rear bumper on the trailer. Those things are dangerous the way they crumble...
 
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