Wow...
Dismissal...
I'm sorry, but again, the bottom line is the driver is the last safety check.
There is no way you guys can deny that fact.
No one is denying that. In fact BOTH of us, Jerry and I have said that moving over to the left lane, or taking, at the least the middle of both lanes was what should have happened....Here is what that would look like in real time spelled out for you, and what possibly went wrong....
1. 1.5 miles from bridge - Lead Pilot car radio's convoy of up coming bridge in 1.5 miles.
2. .8 to .5 milels from bridge - Rear Pilot car radio's to convoy moving to left lane, clear for both lanes proceed.
3. Crossing bridge - Rear Pilot car informs truck and lead car of traffic behind him, and what the potential is when bridge is clear for cars/trucks passing.
4. Clear bridge - All vehicles move to right and proceed. Lead Pilot car resumes radio control of up coming obstacles.
That is how a smooth transition goes. The reason you have pilot cars for a move of this sort is because of several factors....
a. The load is wide enough to hamper vision around to the back
b. The truck carrying the load will be going below the posted speed.
c. The load will be traveling through high traffic areas, and extra marking and safety are needed.
Now, a possible scenerio that could have contributed to this accident.
1a. Traffic was heavy, and would not yield right of way to load.
2b. Cars beside load allowed barely enough room for load to clear structure of bridge.
3c. Other tractor trailer moved along side of load causing load driver to move to the right.
4d. Load strikes bridge support.
Now, We know that the driver was not arrested, and was cooperating with State authorities, so yours, and others just blanket placement of blame on him is obviously incorrect. We also know that a part of that reason is that another truck headed the same direction refused to yield the right of way for the load to properly take the center of both lanes, and that the pilot cars failed their job to secure both lanes for the load. We know that the bridge had a safety rating of 57 out of 100, and that it was the main connection between Washington State, and Canada. The NTSB will be the final word, but so far this jerk type response to jump straight to blame the trucker driver for the accident is just plain wrong. Now, that is not to say that he doesn't bear some of the responsibility of the accident, but, to move a load like this there is a lot of support to the driver in place for a reason, and just plainly not enough 4 wheelers that know or care how to drive around big trucks, let alone think that their actions on the road have consequences after they zoom past....And to the driver of the other tractor that pinned the load to the right, HE is the one that should loose his damned licence...
I mean, I can get mad at 4 wheelers all day long, and tell stories of their dumb assed driving around trucks on the road, but for another Class A CDL driver to pull such a bone headed move as to pass a large load on a bridge? Well, let's just say that driver should not be behind the wheel of a big truck period.
Now, carry on.