Video: 130-car UK pileup injures hundreds, but no deaths

Filed under: Safety, Videos, UK

Emergency Services Attend Major Road Accident In Kent

A crash in the county of Kent in southeast England involving 130 vehicles on a bridge has injured 200 people, 27 of which required hospitalization. The incident, which occurred at 7:15 AM BST (2:15 AM on America’s east coast), was on a bridge on the A249, a road that connects two major motorways, the M2 and M20.

Poor visibility due to heavy fog is believed to be one of the primary causes of the pileup, with some witnesses reporting they could only see about 30 feet in front of them before the crash. There were reports from some drivers that the collisions went on for ten minutes, as other vehicles caught up to the scene of the accident and were unable to stop in time.

Chief Inspector Andy Reeves told the BBC, “It was…very hazardous. It was described to me as a very thick fog and it was certainly low visibility at the time.” Cars, vans, semis and even a loaded car carrier were involved in the wreck, which will likely keep the bridge closed for the remainder of the day. Scroll down for helicopter footage of the aftermath.

Continue reading 130-car UK pileup injures hundreds, but no deaths

130-car UK pileup injures hundreds, but no deaths originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Sep 2013 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: 130-car UK pileup injures hundreds, but no deaths

Filed under: Safety, Videos, UK

Emergency Services Attend Major Road Accident In Kent

A crash in the county of Kent in southeast England involving 130 vehicles on a bridge has injured 200 people, 27 of which required hospitalization. The incident, which occurred at 7:15 AM BST (2:15 AM on America’s east coast), was on a bridge on the A249, a road that connects two major motorways, the M2 and M20.

Poor visibility due to heavy fog is believed to be one of the primary causes of the pileup, with some witnesses reporting they could only see about 30 feet in front of them before the crash. There were reports from some drivers that the collisions went on for ten minutes, as other vehicles caught up to the scene of the accident and were unable to stop in time.

Chief Inspector Andy Reeves told the BBC, “It was…very hazardous. It was described to me as a very thick fog and it was certainly low visibility at the time.” Cars, vans, semis and even a loaded car carrier were involved in the wreck, which will likely keep the bridge closed for the remainder of the day. Scroll down for helicopter footage of the aftermath.

Continue reading 130-car UK pileup injures hundreds, but no deaths

130-car UK pileup injures hundreds, but no deaths originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Sep 2013 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading “Video: 130-car UK pileup injures hundreds, but no deaths”

Report: Hundreds of old nuclear warheads being secretly trucked across US freeways

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Military

It seems that the nation’s stockpile of W76 nuclear warheads is due for a tune up. According to The Kitsap Sun, the Navy is moving 1,600 and 1,800 of the warheads from their home at the Kitsap-Bangor Naval Base in Washington State to the Texas panhandle for updating. The 100-kiloton are between 23 and 32 years old, and as such, require updates to their aiming, firing and fusing systems. In order to get those updates, the warheads will have to travel by road in special, unmarked tractor trailers. For obvious reasons, the Navy isn’t into sharing the travel itinerary for the warheads, but according to The Kitsap Sun, specially-trained federal agents are tasked with transporting the weapons.

The trucks are forbidden from driving in foul weather, and a host of secure shelters along the way will house the big rigs should the skies turn cloudy. Likewise, the drivers aren’t allowed to go for more than 32 hours without sleeping in a real bed, despite the fact that the tractor cabs are sleepers. In addition, the trailers themselves are protected in the event of an accident.

Still, the knowledge that large numbers of nuclear weapons are coursing through the country’s interstate system should give us all pause before cutting off that tractor trailer in traffic.

[Source: The Kitsap Sun]

Report: Hundreds of old nuclear warheads being secretly trucked across US freeways originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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