Wnjj, I stand corrected. Itโs still a long ways from the beginning of the curve to the bridge. People need to learn where the manual brake control is and be able to find it without looking. Applying just it would have stopped the sway and the accident.
Ivylog wrote:
Once the trailer started to sway, this accident could have been avoided IF the driver had manually put on just the trailer brakes. This increases the tongue weight and makes it harder for the trailer to sway while slowing down.
A first responder account with more information:
โ This F350 single rear wheel truck was equipped with a Reese WDH with a sway bar, but he also had a rack on the back with a large generator, spare tire, firewood, and other camping gear on a Curt receiver hitch cargo rack.
The skid marks told the story, with evidence of multiple sway action as he entered a curve on the interstate, which in Idaho has a speed limit of 80 mph. The trailer overtook the truck, causing it to Jack knife, the trailer contacted the right Jersey barrier, and pushed the truck over the left Jersey barrier and over the side of the bridge. The trailer ball was pulled out of the hitch and the truck was dangling dangerously by only one remaining safety chain.โ
Went from 6 attachments to 1. Looks like the slight curve that he entered โcausingโ this accident is over a 1/2 mile away. Thatโs a long way to the bridge fighting a sway. I agree the weight of the stuff on the back lessen the tongue weight but why use a WDH if you had very little tongue weight with a F350? In my first picture you can see the small friction sway ball is bent.
Based upon the picture taken showing the pedestrian bridge, they were traveling eastbound in the lower/leftmost set of lanes. The curve pictured is after the bridge, however there is one about 500 feet before the eastbound bridge.
I was wondering about a WDH. You can clearly see the ball mount but could both of those bars have really torn out from the hitch head like that? I would think the chain ends would rip loose and the solid ends would have stayed in the head since they have to index and slide out. Maybe the first responder assumed WDH? I suppose anything is possible with that kind of violent decoupling.
The sway bar mount could have been bent by the main coupler when the trailer was jackknifed hard enough to damage the tailgate and is likely when the main hitch pried off the ball.
Once the trailer started to sway, this accident could have been avoided IF the driver had manually put on just the trailer brakes. This increases the tongue weight and makes it harder for the trailer to sway while slowing down.
A first responder account with more information:
โ This F350 single rear wheel truck was equipped with a Reese WDH with a sway bar, but he also had a rack on the back with a large generator, spare tire, firewood, and other camping gear on a Curt receiver hitch cargo rack.
The skid marks told the story, with evidence of multiple sway action as he entered a curve on the interstate, which in Idaho has a speed limit of 80 mph. The trailer overtook the truck, causing it to Jack knife, the trailer contacted the right Jersey barrier, and pushed the truck over the left Jersey barrier and over the side of the bridge. The trailer ball was pulled out of the hitch and the truck was dangling dangerously by only one remaining safety chain.โ
Went from 6 attachments to 1. Looks like the slight curve that he entered โcausingโ this accident is over a 1/2 mile away. Thatโs a long way to the bridge fighting a sway. I agree the weight of the stuff on the back lessen the tongue weight but why use a WDH if you had very little tongue weight with a F350? In my first picture you can see the small friction sway ball is bent.
A first responder account with more information:
โ This F350 single rear wheel truck was equipped with a Reese WDH with a sway bar, but he also had a rack on the back with a large generator, spare tire, firewood, and other camping gear on a Curt receiver hitch cargo rack.
The skid marks told the story, with evidence of multiple sway action as he entered a curve on the interstate, which in Idaho has a speed limit of 80 mph. The trailer overtook the truck, causing it to Jack knife, the trailer contacted the right Jersey barrier, and pushed the truck over the left Jersey barrier and over the side of the bridge. The trailer ball was pulled out of the hitch and the truck was dangling dangerously by only one remaining safety chain.โ
Went from 6 attachments to 1. Looks like the slight curve that he entered โcausingโ this accident is over a 1/2 mile away. Thatโs a long way to the bridge fighting a sway. I agree the weight of the stuff on the back lessen the tongue weight but why use a WDH if you had very little tongue weight with a F350? In my first picture you can see the small friction sway ball is bent.
Kudos to the fast thinking truck drive that ran the gold colored chain from his bumper to the PU truckโs hitch.
Ivylog wrote:
OMG this statement is correct โ A safety chain connected to their 30ft camper was the only thing keeping them from falling.โ The 2 silver chains on the right are the trailerโs and only the upper one is still connected under the gold chains from the wrecker.
Good thing it's only a F305. A F350 may have been a bit heavy for that one chain...
