The good and the bad

[leighblack]

Someone posted an article about JD's accident on MySpace.
One dead in I-75 crash

By Tiffany Pakkala
August 22. 2005 2:27PM

One person died in a rented PT Cruiser convertible late Sunday night after it was crushed and burst into flames on Interstate 75 north of the Alachua-Marion county border.

Emergency crews worked throughout the night to extract the motorist from the car, which rested perpendicular to the roadway, crushed to about half its size. It was burned so badly that no paint was left on its exterior, and at a glance its make was unrecognizable.

Killed was John D. Terziu, 34, of Plantation, who was slowing for traffic delayed by Marion County construction at about 11:30 p.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol. A tractor-trailer rear-ended the Terziu's vehicle near mile marker 374, said FHP Sgt. James E. Barber.

The impact "forced the whole back into the front" of the Cruiser, Barber said. A resulting blaze was likely ignited by friction from the impact and fueled by the vehicle's gas tank or electronic system, he said.

After the impact, the rig proceeded to strike a construction truck in front of the car.

The construction truck's driver, Jeff Chauncey, 35, of Homerville, Ga., stood on the roadside Sunday night waiting for police to question him about the crash.

"I was in the center lane, looked in my rearview and saw an 18-wheeler commercial truck," he said. "Then he hit me on the left driver's side."

Chauncey said he veered off the roadway's western berm and sat dazed in his truck for several minutes, then passersby came to his vehicle to ensure he was OK.

"I got out and saw this vehicle was on fire," he said, gesturing at the crushed Cruiser. "I didn't even realize I was in this big accident."

A small cut on Chauncey's face appeared to be his only injury from the crash. The tractor-trailer driver, Gurmett Singh, 38, of Brampton, Ontario, sustained minor injuries.

Singh didn't slow the truck in time as he approached the backed-up traffic, troopers reported. Just before the crash, he tried to brake and attempted to steer to the left to avoid the PT Cruiser.

Interstate 75 southbound remained closed at the Micanopy exit for about four hours as investigators continued reconstructing the accident and cleared of debris from the vehicles, crushed glass and various men's work boots.

Traffic was diverted onto Route 441.

The crash occurred in an area of Interstate 75 nicknamed ?the Bermuda Triangle? because of the number and variety of accidents in the approximately 15-mile stretch. On July 22, a Wisconsin man died when the southbound semi he was driving struck another semi stopped at the same construction site involved in the Sunday night accident.

Just reading that makes me feel ill, much less trying to visualize it. And people wonder why I'm so wary around fucking semis. R.I.P., JD.

On a much, MUCH lighter note. Lee? The bar we were trying to think of that BOD is playing at? It's Station 4, which used to be The Lab. Shitty bar, however, it's about 10 mins from my house. I'm okay with that.

Comments

[aubkabob.livejournal.com]

egads, that's heartbreaking. scary as hell, too. i've almost had semi's merge into me several times, so i fuhreak out around them.

*comforts*

[leighblack.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I didn't know him very well, but a lot of my friends did. Still, I'm pretty stunned/shocked/sad about the whole thing. He was a great guy.

[vampirecarly.livejournal.com]

I had actually found that yesterday just searching on my own. When I read it, I was horrified. I just sat here balling. Then I went and threw up. I opted not to post it because of how awful it was. Then it began circulating today. I sat Skum down and told him to avoid reading it, that there were things he really didn't want to know. He asked me how much worse could it be than any of the other friends he'd lost. I tried again to break it to him gently. He insisted upon knowing. And then he really wished he hadn't insisted.

This is so heartbreaking.

[leighblack.livejournal.com]

I know. It was awful to read. Yet...I think it's important to have some questions answered. At least what and how. We'll never come close to an answer for why.

[sammipunk.livejournal.com]

I suppose the only comfort that can be taken from this is that his death was surely instantaneous upon impact. He didn't feel a thing.

Semi's are nothing to be played around with. I don't fear them, per se, but I definitely respect them SO much more than the other cars on the road. And I'm VERY aware of them when in a situation of either mountains or varying traffic speeds. They just can't stop as fast or see as much (around their vehicle) as cars do.

[leighblack.livejournal.com]

I guess. It's still not much comfort though, you know?

I'm so nervous around semis. I just don't trust them at all!

[sammipunk.livejournal.com]

I know. But it's so much better than knowing that someone you care about suffered in pain.

[pimpstresslana.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear about J.D. I didn't know him, but it's sad to hear about someone so young being taken before their time. The tractor-trailer incident hits a little too close to home and I really wish there was a call for stricter legislation with how reckless these things drive.

Like Sammi said, at least there's some comfort that it was instantaneous and he didn't suffer. That's so sad.

[leighblack.livejournal.com]

It's really, really tragic all around.