Southbound GW Parkway Closed Due To Bus Crash - Traffic News St...

I was on a trip with some friends this past Saturday on this road and it was safe then but a lot of people speed on this road. Our driver was taking his time since we like to enjoy the countryside. The speeders want to get home but some don't make it. A select number end up rearending other cars and have to answer to the police.

I don't know the details of the accident, nor are they relevant to my frustration earlier today. I have lived here less than a year and encountered my fair share of horrendous traffic jams. After turning engine off with those in front and rear of my vehicle, I sat for over an hour and a half. At one point an elderly woman staggered past and I asked where how far she came from. She walked 1/4 mile in search of police help and as a park ranger (meanwhile,@ 10 prom go-ers were taking pictures in the middle of the lane cleared for police activity) raced by both of us, she staggered back toward the ranger. I was outraged by the passengers toting cameras, abandoning cars for pictures of everything from prom dresses to trees along the parkway. My prayers are with the victims of the bus collision. I hope witness' and those who experienced chaos of GW earlier this evening make an effort to change county assignement/park ranger/lack of officer representation 2 miles behind the pile up. Is there no emergency plan here?? There is NO WAY the parkway should have been open so late- I spoke to someone with Diabetes and an elderly passenger who I couldn't see where she was heading. Meanwhile, no officer in sight until apprx. 8 PM (2.5 hrs after prkwy closed).

newz411 wrote:

I don't know the details of the accident, nor are they relevant to my frustration earlier today. I have lived here less than a year and encountered my fair share of horrendous traffic jams. After turning engine off with those in front and rear of my vehicle, I sat for over an hour and a half. At one point an elderly woman staggered past and I asked where how far she came from. She walked 1/4 mile in search of police help and as a park ranger (meanwhile,@ 10 prom go-ers were taking pictures in the middle of the lane cleared for police activity) raced by both of us, she staggered back toward the ranger. I was outraged by the passengers toting cameras, abandoning cars for pictures of everything from prom dresses to trees along the parkway. My prayers are with the victims of the bus collision. I hope witness' and those who experienced chaos of GW earlier this evening make an effort to change county assignement/park ranger/lack of officer representation 2 miles behind the pile up. Is there no emergency plan here?? There is NO WAY the parkway should have been open so late- I spoke to someone with Diabetes and an elderly passenger who I couldn't see where she was heading. Meanwhile, no officer in sight until apprx. 8 PM (2.5 hrs after prkwy closed).

And your point is?? Do you have a solution or suggestion that makes sense?? I can imagine your frustration but the only thing at fault here are the drivers themselves or at least as a rule it is driver error or recklessness. In the bus accident sounds like one bus was tailgating the other bus. Glad no one was seriously injured.

I'll bet that both buses were exceeding the speed limit at the time of the accident. I clocked these tour busses at seventy miles an hour numerous times near Mount Vernon and Metro buses routinely travel over sixty miles an hour along the same section of the GWMP.

The Park Police always use the excuse that they can't do any thing because the buses are traveling in interstate commerce, whatever that is supposed to mean. The only time they have ever cited a tour bus is when that bus smacked into the stone bridge down near Collingwood. The federal Magistrate Judges don't seem to care about speeding on the Parkway either.

This bus had all of my friends on it. I don't know all the details but some of my friends were hurt. No one was speeding, it was only an accident.

Madzy wrote:

This bus had all of my friends on it. I don't know all the details but some of my friends were hurt. No one was speeding, it was only an accident.

So your friends were up front with the driver watching his speedometer? Ive lived in this area my entire life and know for a fact that these tour buses are the most dangerous drivers out on the road. Parents should be aware that tour bus drivers are what every other blue collar profession is and that people lacking a basic education never think beyond a basic job function. I hope your friends are ok

Derses wrote:

I'll bet that both buses were exceeding the speed limit at the time of the accident. I clocked these tour busses at seventy miles an hour numerous times near Mount Vernon and Metro buses routinely travel over sixty miles an hour along the same section of the GWMP.
The Park Police always use the excuse that they can't do any thing because the buses are traveling in interstate commerce, whatever that is supposed to mean. The only time they have ever cited a tour bus is when that bus smacked into the stone bridge down near Collingwood. The federal Magistrate Judges don't seem to care about speeding on the Parkway either.

You have nothing to add of any real substance making assumptions like this. If you were not there, you should not paint the drivers as "speeders". But if you like making assumptions I would "assume" you have gone over the speed limit many times in your life.

Sadly something like this always brings out the people ready to paint all Tour Coach drivers as bad drivers. Most drivers of tour coaches drive well over 75000 miles a year accident free. I would not think many posters here could say the same. The professional drivers are never satisfied with their driving and are always looking for ways to improve. Again, I would not think many posters here could say the same.
None of your criticisms have been constructive so all you have done is show a petty side to the world.

Jones wrote:

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You have nothing to add of any real substance making assumptions like this. If you were not there, you should not paint the drivers as "speeders". But if you like making assumptions I would "assume" you have gone over the speed limit many times in your life.

Why can't Jones live among us in peace? If you've ever wondered about the answer to that question, then read on. The full truth of my conclusion I shall develop in the course of this letter but the conclusion's general outline is that each rung on the ladder of libertinism is a crisis of some kind. Each crisis supplies an excuse for Jones to convince innocent children to follow a path that leads only to a life of crime, disappointment, and destruction. That is the standard process by which immoral, eccentric pip-squeaks rot out the foundations of our religious, moral, and political values. To end on a more positive note: Jones is crazier than a road lizard.

Unless you drive on the GWMP keep your mouth shut unless you have at least one iota of knowledge about the issue.

Tours wrote:

Sadly something like this always brings out the people ready to paint all Tour Coach drivers as bad drivers. Most drivers of tour coaches drive well over 75000 miles a year accident free. I would not think many posters here could say the same. The professional drivers are never satisfied with their driving and are always looking for ways to improve. Again, I would not think many posters here could say the same.
None of your criticisms have been constructive so all you have done is show a petty side to the world.

Sounds like you're preparing an alibi for your own reckless driving charges.

my point: there was no capacity for over two hours if any emergency response was requested from those passengers sitting, waiting without any idea when they would move. after i placed a call about the elderly woman who seemed lost in the middle of the Parkway, officers told me it would take a helicopter plus clearance to land if there was a tangible emergency I could identify. Again, I haven't lived in the area very long, so I was unaware of previous situations along the GW. Constructive criticism? The park rangers cannot effectively control the parkway. The two lanes need to merge into one and allow for a median. Thats all I got- you can knock it, but to gjmoore and others in dissent with my msg- I was trying to raise a major concern and hoped a suggestion vs. an attack might be raised.