Wrong way driver kills 4 and himself

fan27 · Feb 9, 2014

This happened last night in Tampa where I live. Dude was driving the wrong way on I-275 at high speeds. and hits a car full of college students head on. The whole thing was caught on video. Wonder if it was a suicide mission or some major thrill stunt. The question is, what do you if you encounter such a nut job? Pull over to the side of the road and pray you do not get hit?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slbusYPJsik

fan27

bigarrow · Feb 10, 2014

fan27 said:
This happened last night in Tampa where I live. Dude was driving the wrong way on I-275 at high speeds. and hits a car full of college students head on. The whole thing was caught on video. Wonder if it was a suicide mission or some major thrill stunt. The question is, what do you if you encounter such a nut job? Pull over to the side of the road and pray you do not get hit?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slbusYPJsik

fan27

I've seen it several times someone coming on my side on a divided highway. The last time was late at night a couple of years ago with the grandkids asleep in the back seat, scary. I was driving in the right hand lane and have done that for years for just this reason.

fan27 · Feb 10, 2014

bigarrow said:
I've seen it several times someone coming on my side on a divided highway. The last time was late at night a couple of years ago with the grandkids asleep in the back seat, scary. I was driving in the right hand lane and have done that for years for just this reason.

Crazy shit! Thing is this is a divided interstate. The only way to go the wrong way is to get on via an entrance ramp.

volente_00 · Feb 10, 2014

I've personally seen 2 wrecks caused from this in my lifetime. Both were elderly people who somehow got on the highway backwards.

LEAPup · Feb 10, 2014

fan27 said:
This happened last night in Tampa where I live. Dude was driving the wrong way on I-275 at high speeds. and hits a car full of college students head on. The whole thing was caught on video. Wonder if it was a suicide mission or some major thrill stunt. The question is, what do you if you encounter such a nut job? Pull over to the side of the road and pray you do not get hit?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slbusYPJsik

fan27

When faced with a head on driver, it's generally found that yielding to the right and braking steadily improves chances of collision avoidance. Problem is, the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed, and the college kids may not have even seen it coming due to the speed, and night conditions. And yes, sad to see that crash. I've seen similar before. And one thing's for sure. Ohio, California and Florida drivers aren't known for their "skills."

LEAPup · Feb 10, 2014

fan27 said:
Crazy shit! Thing is this is a divided interstate. The only way to go the wrong way is to get on via an entrance ramp.

Very common. There are the typical drunks, medical problems, and of course, the sick bastard on a suicide run who enter an exit ramp, and wreak their havoc.

wrbtrader · Feb 10, 2014

The driver's rate of high speed implies it was intentional and I'm sure the evidence will show that he didn't even break before impact. There's other similar like stories were folks have done such as a suicide and wanting to hurt others (suicide plus murder). Some of those folks did leave behind a suicide note or made a distress phone call to a relative or friend that they wanted to end their life.

If it was medical, drugs or alcohol related...wouldn't there be some swerving or inability to control the vehicle because that video showed a driver that was in control and driving fast without breaking (I didn't see any break lights).

In contrast, someone that made a mistake (e.g. confused elderly folks or someone screwed with the signs as a joke) would slow down and try to get on a shoulder or even attempt a crazy U turn after braking hard or just panic and stop upon seeing oncoming traffic on a highway. The latter happen to me once when I was driving across country in the U.S. in unfamiliar area late at night after using the wrong ramp due to the exit ramp and the entry ramp (switched as a prank by some idiots) for the opposite direction were NEXT to each other with no barrier between them.

I just slowed down and then pulled over onto the shoulder and slowly backup with my hazard lights on after entering the wrong way by about 100 yards.

fan27 · Feb 10, 2014

wrbtrader said:
The driver's rate of high speed implies it was intentional and I'm sure the evidence will show that he didn't even break before impact. There's other similar like stories were folks have done such as a suicide and wanting to hurt others (suicide plus murder). Some of those folks did leave behind a suicide note or made a distress phone call to a relative or friend that they wanted to end their life.

If it was medical, drugs or alcohol related...wouldn't there be some swerving or inability to control the vehicle because that video showed a driver that was in control and driving fast without breaking (I didn't see any break lights).

In contrast, someone that made a mistake (e.g. confused elderly folks or someone screwed with the signs as a joke) would slow down and try to get on a shoulder or even attempt a crazy U turn after braking hard or just panic and stop upon seeing oncoming traffic on a highway.

Initial reports indicate you are correct wrbtrader. Apparently the dude left a party upset, likely about his girlfriend. So Lame! Dudes who do stupid shit over women really annoy me.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/topstories...w-info-on-suspected-driver-in-wrong-way-wreck