One more hard luck story - a saga.

Southbound on I-65, downhill around a sweeping right curve, approximate 5 percent downgrade, cruising at a steady 65 miles per hour, enjoying the light traffic and pretty country. Watched a truck/tractor semi-trailer (correct name for a big rig) approaching at a much higher relative speed from the rear - I was in the center of three lanes, the big rig was in the right hand lane of three. As the big rig passed, it swerved into my lane, striking the left front of my Yukon XL with its 53 foot trailer, just rearward of the tractor wheels . My left side mirror slaps the side window with a tremendous THUD - the trailer is now fully engaged with the entire side of my SUV and the left front and side of the 24 foot trailer that holds my El Camino. My SUV is bucking violently, the trailer wheels and tires grinding into the side of the Yukon and trying to pull the front end under the trailer duels - the grinding noise is terrible, and I have visions of being pulled further in under the rear tires of the semi-trailer. I am trying to steer left, trying to disengage and, as the trailer finally sweeps past my SUV/trailer, my Yukon Shoots back to the left..........

At a relative speed differential of (what I guess to be) about 10 miles per hour - me at 65, he at 75, this whole episode up to this point took place in just 2.3 seconds (I spent 25+ years investigating and reconstructing traffic accidents). Yet, I would have sworn that the grinding noise and feeling that I was being pulled beneath his trailer duals went on for minutes.

.............I steer back to the right in an attempt to correct, but the trailer begins swerving behind me. I can't brake just yet - to have done so would have resulted in a terrible jack-knife and probable overturn. I reach down and manually apply the trailer brake, which eventually pulled my combination back into straight line (I only installed the trailer brake control on my Yukon about five minutes before we departed for Carlisle - MAN am I glad!!!).

With my combination now back under control, but with unknown damage that included possible tire defects, I look up to see the silhouette of the truck/tractor semi-trailer that hit me disappearing over the hill on Southbound I-65. I am now at about 30 to 40 miles per hour - everything seems all right, so I ease my speed up - so far, so good - back up to 50 - no wobbles or pull to the left or right. OK, I'm in pursuit! My wife punches the On-Star button and gets the State Police in action (Man, this is just like the old days!).

Another Truck tractor/semi-trailer slows and pulls up alongside me - I guess that he's seen the whole thing. He points down the road at the disappearing offender (bad guy), holding up his CB (Child's Band) radio microphone which I interpret as questioning if I want him to also go after the bad guy. A nod of my head sets additional pursuit in motion! Three miles down the road I catch up to see a truck/tractor semitrailer (good guy) holding the bad guy's speed to about 40 to 50. I flash my high beams on and off for probably 1/4 mile before the bad guy pulls over. His story is that he never saw me and didn't know he hit me.............Yeah, RIGHT...........

The Kentucky State Police made a report. I've got probably $5,000 to $7.500 in damage to my combination, but the El Camino stayed in it's place and was undamaged. My wife and me are fine - we pulled into home at 8 pm last night...........Ken :beer:

Wow. It's good to hear that you are okay though. That was a great idea on the trailer brakes.

It is possible that he did not know he side swiped you. This I know from experience as a pickup truck side swiped the rear corner of my trailer once in California and I did not know it until my Military Escort informed me over the radio. My question is, why were you not in the right lane as you were not passing anyone? The center and left lanes, on multilane highways are not for cruising, they are for passing. The truck should not have passed you on the right side, however if the far left lane is truck restricted, as many are, and you are going slower in the center lane, as you were, he had little choice but to either stay behind or pass on the right. As a self professed accident investigator, as you state, you should know this. The blame cannot rest entirely on the trucker, as you set up the situation by being where you should not have been.

This is written by a 30 year trucker with some where between 2 and 3 million miles, I quit counting years ago.

BTW, I'm glad to hear that no one was hurt.

And you should know that the speed limit was 65 MPH and, you should know that slower traffic occupied the leftmost lane. And, you should know, being a "self-professed" professional driver, that you should keep a continuous scan of both what is in front of you along with both mirrors! And you should not profess to know more about the situation than the principals until you have all possible information. I would have gladly furnished additional information before your reconstruction of the circumstances, had you asked. But I will not get into a schooling situation with a professional driver, either in driving or accident reconstruction. I know from experience that professionals believe that they are the best at what they do, and some of them actually are, and I congratulate you for being alive after so many years of knowledgeable and, I hope, safe driving.........Ken :beer:

Mama, I should not have questioned the veracity of the truck driver, and should have given him the benefit of the doubt. The Yeah, Right, of mine was an uncalled for smarta$$ remark that was unnecessary to the story. In my defense, I, along with the State Trooper, felt it unlikely that he did not see me or did not know that he had driven into the middle lane. He should have had better control of his big rig than not to know..............Ken

I'm not excusing the truck driver for his wrongs, but you are not totally blameless either. Doesn't matter that slow traffic was in the far left. From your original description, traffic was light and you were not passing anyone. I see bad truck drivers on a daily basis and bad car drivers. Yes, constant scan on the road, guages and mirrors, but that still doesn't stop fools from doing dumb stuff around me and none of them seem to realize that those bright orange diamond shaped placards on my truck that have 1.1 markings means no one will survive the wreck they are about to cause.

Schools out, Mama

I bet he owned a Ranchero, I have a hard time believing the the friction didnt transfer to the cab of the truck. . Glad to hear you were safe.

Air ride suspension and air ride cab, it takes a pretty hard hit to the trailer to feel it from the cab. I don't have an air ride cab, I never felt the pickup that hit my trailer, but it did tear up the right side of his pickup pretty good. Only reason I knew it was my escort vehicle saw it and radioed me.

:dontknow:
WOW ! SH#T (S@T) happens all the time, sorry it happened to you on your watch. I'm glad, as I'm sure you are as well, THAT it just didn't all get FLUSHED!!:beer: And EVERYONE is SAFE.

Glad to hear you're OK and that you caught the guy and got home safe!
But I think I'm missing something. You were in the middle lane and he was coming up fast in the right lane and swerved over into your lane before he was fully past you? How did he hit your left front, and left mirror? Shouldn't your damage be on the right side?

Ken,
I am so glad to hear that you and Diana and your elky are all OK - the rest can be fixed, sorted out, debated & forgotten.

relax and enjoy being home SAFE

Everybody breath through your noses, is that not better! Stupid drivers are present ever where and that is a fact, but from driving most every thing with wheels over xx years, I will start the friction again, 1 out every 3 big-rig drivers need to find another job and or get a new set of brains that work while they are driving (rude, unsafe, dangerous and total mental disregard for anyone including other big rigs). The other 2 out every three haulers keep this country running and in most cases save lifes with there smarts used while they drive and will help others.

Main thing is no one is hurt on either side including the valuable cargo.

Hey Ken
Glad everyone is O.k.
And your ELKO too!!!
Don't let that put a damper on the fun you had!!! :nanawrench:
Hope to see you soon
Donny

OMG... Ken! Diana! Elky! I'm glad everyone is OK, that must have been one hell of a scary event.

Bobby78 Shouldn't your damage be on the right side?

Thanks for the well wishes. And the damage WAS to the right, not left side, Bobby78. Just goes to show that when telling a story, the facts get tangled without proofreading.

Skinyfisher - I appreciate your observations on the trucking industry. In my career, I certainly met more honest, conscientious, and safety-minded truck drivers than those who were not. Truckers really DO move the nations goods, and we would come to a rapid standstill (rapid standstill?????) without them!.............Ken :beer:

Ken, I started reading this thread at page two (my bad). It wasn't until I reached the end of your incident report, that my jaw came up off of the keyboard space bar far enough that I could begin to type.

Geez, I'm soooo sorry. You really are fortunate that the whole rig didn't jack knife (I've been in a jack knifing truck/trailer and it ain't fun or safe). Thank God both of you are safe and sound.

As for the partial liability opinion offered by Mama Mahem, I'm with you (Ken) and think the truck driver is 100% responsible. Passing under any circumstances should only be done when it can be done safely. 65 MPH in the center lane isn't illegal unless there's an Emergency vehicle with lights flashing on your butt. Doing 75 MPH in the RH lane is illegal under any circumstances.

If the driver was irritated at you doing 65 in the center lane, he has many options. To name just a few, he could slow down behind you and flash his headlights so you'll be aware he wants through quickly. He could slow down behind you and be more patient and wait for you to find an opportunity to move into either of the other lanes. He could also break a second law by passing on the left in the high speed lane (We've already determined his willingness to break driving laws. So what's the big deal about breaking one more?....BTW, on my 800 mile round trip I was in the center lane doing 65-70 in a 3 lane section of highway and was passed several times on the left by impatient truckers). Or finally (since it's pretty obvious he never looked left after passing and moving to the center lane) he could have continued with his pass-on-the-right plan, but get off the CB, cell phone/text messaging, or Satellite TV or whatever else had him distracted and use both eyeballs to look into his left mirror before cranking the wheel back to the left. Had he done so, he probably wouldn't have touched your rig at all.

With a 20:1 weight advantage, all truckers have to drive 20 times safer than cars. Most do. In fact I'd say 95% do. This idiot is obviously one of the other 5%. Thanks for helping hold him accountable. Hope it doesn't cost you much to do so.

More than that, glad you're all home safe.

He was probably pissed that you were in "his" way and thought he'd cut you off real close and scare the crap out you but he misjudged the distance and hooked you instead. Just another case of aggressive driving by some a$$hole!

Ken, WOW. first of all i am, glad you guys are not hurt, the rest can be fixed. i have been out of the loop since, Carlisle, it was great meeting you, glad your great elky made it through ok, nice work on the trailer brakes too!:nanawrench:
the truck driver debate could go on forever, other than seeing the good and bad big riggers myself, and knowing how important they are to our everyday life, we simply must remember, there is good and bad in every thing. bad apple syndrome comes to mind here.
i sure hope to see you at another event down the road, stay safe, good bless.