Things that are hard to imagine.

Dump Truck Plows Through Intersection, Causing 20-Vehicle Accident and Killing 4
HARTFORD, July 29 - Laden with dirt as it descended a mountain into a prosperous suburb, a dump truck with a history of brake violations barreled into traffic at a busy intersection in Avon, Conn., on Friday morning, crushing cars and setting off a chain of fiery collisions that killed four people and injured 14.

This was one of those big dump trucks. The really good quote is this: "At least partly airborne as it crossed the intersection, according to the police, the truck spilled dirt across the road and onto some cars before landing on its passenger side." I cannot imagine a dump truck even partly airborne. You try it.

What piques my curiosity is it's history of brake problems. Police say that they have been called to the dump truck's house for numerous domestic disputes but no arrests were made in those instances. A search of court files do show that two restraining orders were issued by the dump truck's estranged spouse, 20-year old Caterpillar backhoe. The backhoe could not be reached for comment. Neighbors say that while that marriage was tempestuous the dump truck was generally a very quiet, friendly neighbor. "He was always saying hello and checking in to see how was I doing", Betty, an elderly delivery van said. "He'd kid me about helping me to rotate my tires. You never would have known he had brake problems. He was quiet, real quiet. But nice." Another neighbor, who would only give his name as "Mack" said "[the dump truck] was a truly nice guy...as long as he was sober. But drunk? Whoa! I saw him fill up a few times at Skidmarks [a neighborhood bar]. He'd get a crazy look in his headlights." "Mack" admitted to never hearing of or seeing evidence of brake problems specifically, "but it doesn't surprise me. In this neighborhood everyone seems to have a skeleton in their glove box." Police investigators refuse to comment whether octane is thought to have played a role in this incident. One officer, speaking off the record said "this could have been a straightforward accident, it's too early to tell. Sure his history of problems is leading us to consider other possibilities such as suicide, the fulfillment of some sort of revenge fantasy, or simply gasohol or fuel additive-related misfortune. We'll have to wait for the lab results; at this point we can draw no conclusions."



~A