Fatal crash east of Albuquerque closes WB I-40

I live in the east mountains and although you feel for the family, lots of these truckers go way too fast through the canyon. It's only a matter of time until someone gets hurt.

These Damm Truckers need to slow down. I have almost been ran down several times through Sadillo Hill. It needs to be 55MPH like California for Truckers.

Good Story wrote:

These Damm Truckers need to slow down. I have almost been ran down several times through Sadillo Hill. It needs to be 55MPH like California for Truckers.

I totally disagree with you, if you want to know why CA has more accidents with trucks then any other state is is because of that way outdated 55 mph when towing and for truckers.

Allow all vehicles to travel the same speed but keep the big vehicles, motorhomes, vehicles towing 5th wheels, boats and trailers and BUSES in the far right lane except when passing will do more to improve the flow of traffic.

Now as your you and "Not surprised" let's be totally honest and talk about all those speeding cars too!

And if you want to know why there are truck accidents, many, not all but many are caused by other vehicles cutting back in front of them to quickly leaving no room for the trucker to stop in an emergency.

You want trucks to slow down and they want you to slow down too.

Works both ways.

not surprised wrote:

lots of these truckers go way too fast through the canyon. It's only a matter of time until someone gets hurt.

Change LOTS to SOME and what about all the other vehicles, cars, pick ups, motorhomes, buses and cars towing trailers etc?

I just can't stand people who always blame every accident on the highway on truckers when half of them are caused by cars cutting back in to quickly.

Check your speedometer as you head downhill, bet your not sticking to the posted speed limit.

And they call themselves "Professional Drivers"!

Ellobo337 wrote:

And they call themselves "Professional Drivers"!

Only some of them, not all of them and I would not consider all to be professional.

I have seen my share of bad ones hauling A -S-S down the highway.

I have also seen them hogging both lanes and that bugs me more then their speeding.

not surprised wrote:

I live in the east mountains and although you feel for the family, lots of these truckers go way too fast through the canyon. It's only a matter of time until someone gets hurt.

The state transportation police and sheriff's department seem to work this area heavily. I can't imagine how bad it would be if they were patrolling the canyon.

I've been tail gated by all sorts of people in this stretch. The worst one was the truck that tried to make me part of his trailer but Apd TRIED THAT ONCE UNTIL i KICKED HIS CAR WHILE RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE.
The traffic in this case was backed up past TIJERAS. There is THREE lanes in this area so why was traffic soo backed up since the accident was in the extreme Right lane.
Efficency is not in the vacabulary of law enforcement for this area.

It is not just the truckers that speed just about everyone does. You can not stop one of those trucks as fast as you can a car so everyone needs to slow down and stop with the lead foot approach in the driving thru that and all areas.

I've been in three crashes, driving a semi, all three were caused by drivers of automobiles. My driving record is clean. Here is my solution: To be issued a learners permit, each new driver will be require to ride for two hours with a CDL driver. Count how many times you get cut off in two hours. Keep in mind, if you cut off A semi's Stopping distance, it may be the last thing you do, and that driver will have two choices; 1) Live with the posibility of killing you; 2) in order to save you, risk killing himself! Semi drivers do not have the luxury of quick braking, swerving, or quick acceleration. It's a sickening feeling, when you have no choice but to kill someone. Personally, My father chose to crash his truck with a crane behind him, in order to save a woman with a blown tire on a horse trailer.
This accident on I-40 was near an entrance, maybe this driver sacrificed himself as well!!

All good points Bill. It is impossible to leave safe following space in the metro, several cars will always squeeze in to whatever amount of space you leave. The one way I deal with it is to run 5 or so mph less than the surrounding traffic, that way my safe space has a tendency to grow, even though the dingalings still try to close it up by squeezing in.

yeah that stretch of 1-40 is bad with speeders of all types of vehicles. not just truckers. I've seen people roll their cars in the canyon from the same issue, going to fast....

You got that right. They LOVE to close the canyon. I can only imagine the frustration of truckers trying to pass through this state. Wait until a snow flake falls this winter. They will shut down I-40 for two days.

maniac wrote:

I've been tail gated by all sorts of people in this stretch. The worst one was the truck that tried to make me part of his trailer but Apd TRIED THAT ONCE UNTIL i KICKED HIS CAR WHILE RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE.
The traffic in this case was backed up past TIJERAS. There is THREE lanes in this area so why was traffic soo backed up since the accident was in the extreme Right lane.
Efficency is not in the vacabulary of law enforcement for this area.

"crashed into a mountain"..? a mountain? like a mountain just randomly popped up in the truck's path? The story should read the truck slammed into the rocky canyon wall.

Why does this state not have any of those emergency truck pull outs filled with sand to slow down and stop a runaway truck?

If the driver did have some sort of problem, over heated brakes as an example and there were truck pullouts he could have possibly road it down and pulled into it.

Sure he would have to lay on his air horn and flash his lights as he rode down the hill to the safety of that stop but he would be alive today.

All I am asking why does NM not have any type of emergency pull outs for trucks?

I actually saw the accident. My family and I were driving out to the pumpkin patch. It happened literally in front of me. He wasn't speeding, and didn't swerve. The truck appeared to be going straight and at a normal speed, and then it just drifted into the mountain. It was the most horrible thing I have ever seen. I knew he was dead. I think he might have passed out? Or fallen asleep. Who knows, but I do know he wasn't speeding or swerving. It just sort of happened.

Exit 168 WB and 170 EB is a deadly area for trucks, cars, and motorcycles. It's almost like the Bermuda Triangle of The Tijeras Canyon.....

This sounds like a tragic accident and only that. The reports and witness's all state speed wasn't a factor. I wonder if the driver had a heart attack. I feel for his family because they will hear bad news.

As for the other responses, the car drivers in ABQ are much worse than any semi-truck drivers, hands down worse. Next time you want to cut off a semi-truck remember that stopping 80,000 pounds of rolling metal takes time and that 80,000 semi will roll right over you in a close quarters accident you caused in your SUV because you were in a hurry.

Clean up - 60 mins max. Let the traffic roll on!&^%^&*%^

this doesn't look like a rollover. It justs looks like he drove into the mountain.