Posted on 03/09/2018 4:53:02 AM PST by lightman
Headline: “Driver electrocuted after ignoring barricade and hitting wires downed in storm”
From the story: “.... run over live electrical wires...”
The headline is accurate (hitting), the (run over) in the story is not.
From the photo, the car HIT the wire (s) near the front bumper area (most melted). The right front tire is still not past the wire (can’t see the left tire).
I don’t know how many or if it had a moon roof because there is no roof left. Only the heavier duty cross supports are left. All the roof panels are gone!
Electrocuted then burned, “That Ain’t No Way To Go” (Brooks & Dunn)
Could be like hell, only in hell, it would never end.
Waste of time. And it sure looks like the crane was in direct contact with two wires.
Watch it closely and you can see the arc from the wire to the crane
My dad took me to the track the first time for practice in 1967 when I was seven years old just to see Parnelli Jones in the STP Turbine. I’ve been back many times and have some great track memories.
The 1980 500 was not the best race but it was the most memorable for me. After a 3:30 a.m. stop to the White Castle at 16th & Georgetown, we learned that “Gates Open at 6:00 a.m.” means “barbarians storm the castle.” We sat on the berm inside Turn 4. A cloudless sunny day with the race dominated start to finish by JR in the Pennzoil Chapparal. After the last car left the track, about 10 guys jumped the short fence, went on the track, and mooned the Northwest Vista. The only reason I wasn’t one of them is they didn’t tell me they were gonna do that.
My two sons have their own track stories now, too.
We have seats at the end of Turn 1/beginning of south short chute.
“The road, the car, and the tires are probably saturated with wet road salt.”
Yes, that would certainly change things. And at high v, pinholes become gaping holes from current flow. Must’ve just been a big bright arc ball.
One danger people don't often realize is that high voltage electrical lines near ground level will generate huge currents through any conductor they touch. Those currents can, like an arc welder, damage or cut through conductive materials like sheet metal.
All it takes is a newly formed pinhole in the gas tank and the next arc starts a fire.
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