Close shave - story from US

[Mad Maxine]

Story from the US I spotted yesterday:

'Not much is left of a Santa Maria Police cruiser after it was wrapped around a tree early Sunday morning.

The powerful impact nearly split the squad car in two stopping just short of the officer sitting behind the wheel.

"That car is the worst police traffic collision I have seen here at this police department in 35 years", says SMPD Chief Dan Macagni.

Macagni says Officer Damon Badnell was responding to a call for help from another officer on foot chasing a burglary suspect in the north end of town.

"It had just rained, the roads were slick and for unknown reasons he lost control of the car at Main and Broadway", Macagni says. "It's unbelievable he's alive and survived this crash".

Officer Badnell is being treated for broken bones at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital where doctors are optimistic about his recovery. A three year veteran of the Santa Maria Police Department, Damon Badnell is a husband and father who grew up in the area and was just awarded by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for making the most DUI arrests in the city.'




I'm guessing he was hurrying in the wet, and I wouldn't call that "for unknown reasons" but still, he's lucky to be alive to tell the tale.

MM

[burnz]

a car should't fold like that, he must have been going hard..
maybe the sheriff's office sould think about something more sturdee in side impacts!

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by burnz

a car should't fold like that, he must have been going hard..
maybe the sheriff's office sould think about something more sturdee in side impacts!

We don't know the full fact's of the story, we don't know the exact speed or road condidtion's, he has walked away alive, so that must say something about the structure of the vehicle, he is a very lucky man, as most vehicle's are designed to crumble around the occupant's and absorb the impact, what vehicle would you reconmend they drive instead ?.
Also just have a look at the recent high speed crashes here in Aus like the one not so long ago in Melb where 5 young people died and the car vertually split in two.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by burnz

a car should't fold like that, he must have been going hard..
maybe the sheriff's office sould think about something more sturdee in side impacts!

Like what. A girder from the Harbour Bridge ?

[Dave_Obsession]

Oh my God, that's just nuts.......incredible to think that somebody survived that!

Lucky for the guy it's left-hand drive in the US!!!

[Jason[98.EL]]

http://www.ksby.com/player/?video_id=4832

it has a bit more of the story

but how lucky is he to walk away

he hit a tree

Jason

[SVD]

what a hoon. he should have his license suspended...and car impounded
(someone was bound to say it...)

Lucky guy really, hope he bought a lotto ticket

[Grippy]

Geez he really must have been travelling quick to cause that kind of impact

[3vXT]

I'm inclined to suggest that its a load of crap but without the desire to investigate further i'll leave it alone.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by ken2903

I'm inclined to suggest that its a load of crap but without the desire to investigate further i'll leave it alone.

Looking at the tree involved and then the car it really makes you wonder

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by DJM83

Looking at the tree involved and then the car it really makes you wonder

Have you ever seen an accident with a vehicle wraped around a tree 1st hand ?
Tree's do not move, the root system is where the strength is, I have no doub't what so ever that this is legit.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

Have you ever seen an accident with a vehicle wraped around a tree 1st hand ?
Tree's do not move, the root system is where the strength is, I have no doub't what so ever that this is legit.

No i havnt, but your probably right and i really think it is legit to i just suspected more damage to the tree then what was shown. But once again the driver is VERY lucky

[DJM83]

Jesus what an impact, used all his luck up in that one thats for sure

[Fordman]

Ford thats why ;) Crown Vic should have 5 star rating haha

[TURBOTAXI]

no buff out comments yet?

[SVD]

Originally Posted by TURBOTAXI

no buff out comments yet?

Just because you asked...

PFFT! it'll Buff out!

[FPVUTEXR8]

I've got photos of a BA XR8 magnet ute that looks similar to that around a power pole , Put the pole tru to the centre console, destroyed the passenger seat complely , driver smashed off his face on drugs/ alchaol to the point when the cops arrived he was still trying to start the car and drive away.

His speed was around 140 to 160 .

Oh and it snapped the pole in 3 places and it wasn't exactly a small or old pole.

[chrisfpv]

"It had just rained, the roads were slick and for unknown reasons he lost control of the car at Main and Broadway"

Yeahp, unknown reasons for sure. Wouldn't have anything to do that he was called to help out another officer who was chasing a burglar on foot. I doubt he was driving to help out with his arm out the window following the speed limit.

Speed was obv a factor here, you can tell by the damage to the police vehicle and the fact that he was on call. But i'm glad he got out of the whole ordeal ok.

[SEZ213]

That is one lucky cop!

I know a few trees that haven't withstood that much speed, but I would have expected perhaps some more damage, particularly from the metal of the car up the bark

[uranium_death]

Lucky man.
That is all that needs to be said.

[csv8]

I would say he survived because its a left hand drive car not a right hand drive car

[Interceptor]

last time i saw anything like that it was a toyota camry that had smacked into a pole at ~160, driver didnt make it out alive, passenger died in hospital a few days later, and the camry wasnt anywhere near as badly messed up as that car

[ebxr8240]

Been to 1000's of car hit poles.. In some cases we have to pull the pole out of the ground to remove the car...
Seen side impacts like that with 120 kph on speedo...Possibly higher just before impact...
Very lucky driver...