A North Arlington driver and his female passenger from Bergenfield were killed when their speeding sedan slammed into the side of a tractor-trailer. . .
Luis Fernando Cevallos, 24, and his as-yet unidentified 27-year-old passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. . .
The tractor-trailer, whose driver was making an early delivery, was perpendicular across Route 1&9 when it was struck behind the rear wheel. . .
The top of the Kia was sheared off, he said, adding that the sedan went another 30 to 40 feet before it stopped. Authorities: Bergen Couple Killed When Speeding Sedan Slams Into Tonnelle Ave Tractor-Trailer
Because the bottom of a truck is higher than the bumper of passenger vehicles, when there is a collision the smaller vehicle easily slides under the truck and the first point of impact is the windshield. Seatbelts, airbags, and car crumple zones do not function as intended in underride crashes —front, side, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.
SafetySkirt Crash Test Behind Rear Axle
AMERICA’S DANGEROUS TRUCKS (PBS/Frontline Underride Documentary)
See Underride Crash Memorials posted here and at #STOPunderrides Tweets. To add photos or more information on this story or to add other underride crashes to be remembered, send an email to underridemap@gmail.com. Please use this Interactive Underride Crash Map Crash Location Input Form to provide us with accurate information . (Note: the map is currently not online; but we would keep the information for future updating and to aid in underride advocacy efforts.)
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Please sign this petition: Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underrides.
Note: In order to raise awareness and preserve the memories of underride victims — precious ones gone too soon — I have been writing memorial posts on what appear to me to be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but I think that underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.
Reckless, foolish and a show off.
Pathetic.
The solution isn’t making the bottom of the truck safer, educate the idiots that are being put behind the wheels of a car. he is not thoughtful and have put the needs of others first like the GoFundme claimed, if that was the case, he wouldn’t have died like that.
SMDH, this would have been avoidable.
After publishing this memorial post, information pointed to a high speed at impact. Obviously, speeding as he apparently did is reckless and in disregard of human life. We all should do our part to drive safely.
However, underride guards are meant to protect the occupants of vehicles — as are seatbelts, air bags, bumpers, and crumple zones — no matter what the cause of the crash is. We need both safer drivers and safer vehicles, as well as safer streets. Both/And — not Either/Or.
Whether or not, this crash would have been survivable had a side underride guard been installed on the tractor trailer, crash testing has shown that this kind of crash could be more survivable with underride protection in many cases.
SafetySkirt Crash Test Behind Rear Axle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaST4YepQeA
https://annaleahmary.com/2023/08/video-from-stop-underrides-crash-test-event/