Monthly Archives: August 2023

In Memory of Nicole Pavelka & Ryker Schlictman (August 9, 2023)

Preliminary investigation shows that a semi was westbound on Highway 6 when it failed to slow down for stopped westbound traffic that was waiting for a vehicle to turn at Road A. The semi then entered the eastbound lanes, lost control, and struck an eastbound Buick Enclave. The Buick was occupied by one adult and four children.

The driver, identified as Nicole Pavelka, 30, and one of the children, Ryker Schlichtman, 8, were pronounced dead at the scene. An 11-year-old and a 10-year-old have been transported to Children’s Hospital in Omaha with serious injuries. The fourth child, a 9-year-old, was transported to Mary Lanning Hospital in Hastings also with serious injuries. All five are a family from Davenport, Nebraska. NSP identifies victims in deadly crash in Clay County

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 —frontside, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Nicole Pavelka & Ryker Schlictman, Precious Ones Gone Too Soon

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.)

How You Can Help

Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.

Please sign this petitionSecretary Pete, It’s Past Time To End Death By Underride!

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 could potentially be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

We are asking that people send us crash reports for collisions with trucks which they suspect involved underride. Send them to marianne@annaleahmary.com. We will submit these as complaints to USDOT. Read more here: Launching a Campaign To Flood NHTSA With Underride Complaint Reports.

In Memory of Juan Galvez (August 8, 2023)

The deceased driver of a 1996 Mazda pickup truck has been identified as 49-year-old Maple Park man, Juan Galvez.

Sheriff’s deputies reviewed dash cam footage from the semi-truck and determined that Galvez did not stop at a stop sign while traveling eastbound on Beith Road before crashing into the semi, which was traveling southbound on Route 47.

Both vehicles were severely burned after the pickup truck became pinned sideways underneath the semi-truck, police said. Galvez was pronounced dead at the scene. Driver dead after crashing vehicle underneath semi-truck in Elburn, Kane County Sheriff says

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 —frontside, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Juan Galvez, Precious One Gone Too Soon

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.)

How You Can Help

Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.

Please sign this petitionSecretary Pete, It’s Past Time To End Death By Underride!

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 could potentially be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

We are asking that people send us crash reports for collisions with trucks which they suspect involved underride. Send them to marianne@annaleahmary.com. We will submit these as complaints to USDOT. Read more here: Launching a Campaign To Flood NHTSA With Underride Complaint Reports.

In Memory of Antwuan Coleman (August 6, 2023)

A 2020 Wester Star tractor-trailer was traveling east on Highway 24 collided with a 2016 Dodge Charger driven by 22-year-old Antwuan L. Coleman, of McComb, which MHP said was traveling west.

Coleman suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, MHP officials said. McComb man killed in crash involving 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 —frontside, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Antwuan Coleman, Precious One Gone Too Soon

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.)

How You Can Help

Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.

Please sign this petitionSecretary Pete, It’s Past Time To End Death By Underride!

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 could potentially be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

We are asking that people send us crash reports for collisions with trucks which they suspect involved underride. Send them to marianne@annaleahmary.com. We will submit these as complaints to USDOT. Read more here: Launching a Campaign To Flood NHTSA With Underride Complaint Reports.

In Memory of Belinda Sanchez (August 7, 2023)

The Fayette County Coroner has identified the woman as 63-year-old Belinda Sanchez.

Lexington Police say the crash happened just before 3:30 p.m. Monday on Newtown Pike at Aristides Blvd.

Police say Sanchez was driving a car when it hit a semi. Woman dies after serious crash in Lexington

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 —frontside, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Belinda Sanchez, Precious One Gone Too Soon

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.)

How You Can Help

Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.

Please sign this petitionSecretary Pete, It’s Past Time To End Death By Underride!

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 could potentially be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

We are asking that people send us crash reports for collisions with trucks which they suspect involved underride. Send them to marianne@annaleahmary.com. We will submit these as complaints to USDOT. Read more here: Launching a Campaign To Flood NHTSA With Underride Complaint Reports.

In Memory of Terrie Cox (August 5, 2023)

Early investigation revealed a 2005 International Fire Truck from the Hanover Fire Department had responded to the area to assist in clearing dried mud from the roadway. 

The fire truck was headed east in the westbound lanes of Clifty Hollow Road and crashed head-on with a 2015 Toyota Rav4.

ISP said the driver of the Toyota, Terrie Cox, died before she could be taken to the hospital. Woman killed in head-on crash involving fire truck on Hanover Hill

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 —frontside, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Terrie Cox, Precious One Gone Too Soon

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.)

How You Can Help

Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.

Please sign this petitionSecretary Pete, It’s Past Time To End Death By Underride!

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 could potentially be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

We are asking that people send us crash reports for collisions with trucks which they suspect involved underride. Send them to marianne@annaleahmary.com. We will submit these as complaints to USDOT. Read more here: Launching a Campaign To Flood NHTSA With Underride Complaint Reports.

In Memory of Jurado Jerome Escarcega (August 4, 2023)

They said a Chevy pickup truck, driven by 34-year-old Jurado Jerome Escarcega, was headed northbound on the outside when a semi turned onto the inside lane.

That’s when Escarcega moved into the same lane and struck the back of the semi. He died at a hospital in Carlsbad. Semi, pickup crash in Eddy County kills 1

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 —frontside, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Jurado Jerome Escarcega, Precious One Gone Too Soon

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.)

How You Can Help

Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.

Please sign this petitionSecretary Pete, It’s Past Time To End Death By Underride!

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 could potentially be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

We are asking that people send us crash reports for collisions with trucks which they suspect involved underride. Send them to marianne@annaleahmary.com. We will submit these as complaints to USDOT. Read more here: Launching a Campaign To Flood NHTSA With Underride Complaint Reports.

In Memory of Sandra Herrera (August 3, 2023)

According to Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Corporal Reginal M. King, the two-vehicle crash happened around 5:30 a.m. on August 3. Sandra Herrera, age 43, was critically injured in a crash after her vehicle struck a tractor-trailer. . .

The passenger in the car with Herrera was airlifted to Northeast Medical Center in Tupelo, MS for treatment. 1 killed, 2 injured in tractor-trailer involved crash near Cherokee

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 —frontside, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Sandra Herrera, Precious One Gone Too Soon

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.)

How You Can Help

Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.

Please sign this petitionSecretary Pete, It’s Past Time To End Death By Underride!

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 could potentially be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

We are asking that people send us crash reports for collisions with trucks which they suspect involved underride. Send them to marianne@annaleahmary.com. We will submit these as complaints to USDOT. Read more here: Launching a Campaign To Flood NHTSA With Underride Complaint Reports.

Simply Mary. . . August 6, 1999 – May 8, 2013

Video from STOP Underrides Crash Test Event

When there is no strong physical barrier under a truck bed, Death By Underride becomes a known unreasonable risk. Fortunately, engineers have developed effective physical barriers or underride protection – although it is not required by law. With that in mind, a group of engineers carried out R&D crash testing on August 3 at the Raleigh Underride Crash Test Event.

Four side crash tests were conducted into semitrailers:

  • Ford Fiesta into an AngelWing side guard from a 45 degree angle (39 mph)
  • Chevy Malibu into an unguarded trailer from a 45 degree angle (38 mph)
  • Chevy Impala into a SafetySkirt side guard in the rear area behind forward positioned trailer axles from a 90 degree angle (36 mph)
  • Chevy Malibu into a SafetySkirt side guard from a 90 degree angle (43 mph)

Crashed trailers were each ballasted with approximately 28,000 pounds in water tanks. Video footage in this LinkedIn post by Forensic Rock, highlights two of the crash tests:

We love working with passionate people in the AR field. And Aaron Kiefer is one of those super-passionate people we absolutely love working with.

We were lucky enough to help him and his great #StopUnderrides group collect data for an awesome test series they were running in North Carolina. His goal was to demonstrate the collision mitigation of different trailer guards on side underride collisions with lower-profile sedans.

This compilation video compares an unguarded 53′ van trailer to Aaron’s SafetySkirt design. Two Chevrolet Malibu’s were used in this test series.

The speed at impact in the unguarded test was 37.5 mph; the speed at impact for Aaron’s SafetySkirt test was 43.4 mph.

We won’t spoil it for you, but Aaron certainly knows what he is doing.

Underride Crash Tests – Unguarded Trailer vs Guarded Trailer

The guards prevented Passenger Compartment Intrusion (PCI) in each guarded test.

Note: More details will be shared in the days ahead as photos, video, and electronic data are compiled.

In Memory of Francis Hanrahan (July 31, 2023)

Georgia State Patrol Post 7 said Francis Hanrahan, 58, of Rabun Gap crossed the centerline into oncoming traffic and struck a tractor-trailer on its left side. Authorities release name of person killed in wreck on U.S. 441 near Clayton

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 —frontside, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Francis Hanrahan, Precious One Gone Too Soon

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.)

How You Can Help

Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.

Please sign this petitionSecretary Pete, It’s Past Time To End Death By Underride!

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 could potentially be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

We are asking that people send us crash reports for collisions with trucks which they suspect involved underride. Send them to marianne@annaleahmary.com. We will submit these as complaints to USDOT. Read more here: Launching a Campaign To Flood NHTSA With Underride Complaint Reports.