Truck crashes on overpass, rains sheep down on motorists

In one of the more bizarre and macabre accidents we've ever seen, a truck carrying 400 sheep turned on its side on an overpass in Australia yesterday, ripping the trailer open and tossing the hapless livestock onto the traffic below, according to reports.

One car rolled over four times and a number of other vehicles had the animals fall through their windshields as they drove through the downpour of sheep, which can weigh more than 100 pounds each.

"We looked up and we could see the truck flip on its side and then the next minute, we were underneath and yeah, raining sheep doesn't happen everyday," said Kristy Davis, a witness, talking to reporters.

No people were seriously hurt during the incident. But the sheep were not as lucky. A final tally by reporters said that fewer than 10 sheep survived. The chaos caused some nine hours of delays on the roads.

Credit : Autoblog

Watch a bus driver block escape of hit-and-run driver

There has been plenty of debate about whether bicyclists should be able to take up a lane typically reserved for motor vehicles. While that argument is far from settled, we can all agree that hit-and-run accidents between cars and bikes have got to stop.

At least one bus driver seems to agree with that statement, as evidenced by the action displayed in this video posted by the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania police department. The driver in question, a minor, faces multiple charges.

 

60 year old driver might be charged for Japan supercar crash

After 14 luxury vehicles were involved in an expensive pileup just a few days ago, a 60 year old man might be charged for the crash.

According to police reports, the 60 year old man was apparently driving his Ferrari too fast when he lost control of his supercar and because of the wet road, what happened next will probably make “history”. And if you don’t remember, than a fast click on this link over here will enlighten you. If the old man will be charged for Japan’s most expensive car crash yet, he will most likely have to pay for all the damages, and considering the fact that most supercars were destroyed completely, the total amount might rise to a few million US dollars.

“I was driving at a faster speed than the legal limit. I had attempted to change lanes while driving in the passing lane, but the rear wheels of my car skidded, prompting my car to hit the guardrail”, said the 60 year old Ferrari driver.

As a result of the crash, in the 80 km/h speed limit zone a number of 14 luxury vehicles were damaged, some of them ending up as scrap metal. The wreck included a number of Ferrari 355s, Ferrari F430s, Ferrari F360, Ferrari F512, Lamborghini Diablo, three Mercedes-Benz models, a Nissan Skyline and an “eco-friendly” Toyota Prius.

Rides : Japanese pileup claims eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini and three Benzes

This is going to be painful, so we'll break it down quickly. Trust us, it will be like pulling off a Band-Aid.

[translated from Japanese]

"So, want to caravan to the car show? I'm excited to drive my Ferrari F355 there."
"Sure. I will be driving my Lamborghini. Let me call my six other friends who also own Ferraris."
"If other marques are welcome, I will invite my two friends who drive Mercedes-Benzes."

Crash!

[sounds of crying]

In all seriousness, we were glad to learn that nobody was seriously injured in the wreck. According to the Associated Press, a group of car enthusiasts were on their way to a driver's gathering in Hiroshima when one Ferrari swerved into the median barrier, likely pinballing into the other cars. Police said a total of 14 cars were caught in the wreck, including eight Ferraris, two Lambos, and a trio of Mercs. The AP report says total damage is likely over $1 million.

 

BlackBerry outage coincides with reduced number of traffic accidents

When BlackBerry servers crashed between Tuesday and Thursday last week, owners of the popular business phones were left without a tool they've come to rely on. At the same time, the server crash could have made roads in the Middle East that much safer.

The National reports that traffic accidents in Dubai dropped 20 percent compared to historical averages during the blackout. In Abu Dhabi, accidents dropped by 40 percent, and there were zero fatalities. If you're thinking that this isn't a significant enough sample to show that smart phones and distracted driving are inexorably linked, consider this: There is an accident in Dubai every three minutes.

Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim pointed out to The National that the accidents resulting from distracted driving "range between minor and moderate ones, but at times they are deadly." Officer Al Harethi took it a step farther, adding "the roads became much safer when BlackBerry stopped working."

While the loss of BlackBerry service was no doubt a major inconvenience, these real-life statistics once again show that smart phones and driving just don't mix.

Jean-Claude Van Damme drives car into canal in Belgium

Hollywood movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme narrowly avoided injury after driving his car into a canal in his native Belgium.

Then he tried to show off his strength by hauling the half-sunken vehicle out on his own.
His efforts were ineffective, so he eventually asked two security staff at the nightspot to help him.
“He’d had a drink, but wasn’t drunk,” a spokesman for the disco told British newspaper The Sun.
The incident apparently affected Jean-Claude’s mood.
Van Damme is said to have caused the crash by accidentally putting the car into first gear instead of reverse.
Once he’d salvaged his car, he apparently accused fellow party-goers of stealing from him. He insisted people had tried to take his mobile phone and wallet. The star eventually disappeared into the night in the sodden vehicle.
Earlier this month, Double Impact was re-released on DVD, 20 years after it first hit cinemas.
In the movie, van Damme plays twins Alex and Chad Wagner, who are separated when their parents are killed by a gang, then reunite years later to take down the perpetrators.

Rides : Car Crash at Nürburgring: Eight cars Involved in Crash including BMW M3 Ring Taxi

According to a local police report, first picked up by Jalopnik, the accident was caused when a British driver came in too fast into a section called the “Bergwerk” where some construction has been taking place.

The British driver tried to brake, but the car became unstable and a side collision with a car driving ahead was inevitable. The car then hurled into the grass. After about 50 meters it came back on the road where it hit two other cars.
Three drivers noticed the crash take place so they slowed their cars to a crawl, however, the BMW M3 Ring Taxi didn’t notice the decelerating cars and continued on at a normal pace. When the BMW driver realized what is ahead it was too late. The ‘Ring Taxi’ crashed into the back of one of the civilian cars and eventually came to rest against the crash barrier as seen above.
Of the eight cars involved in the crash, all but one suffered serious damage.
The estimated cost of the crash is around €150,000.
According to reports from GTSprint.com the safety regulations were not being followed at the time of the crash and at the TV wall, where normally the safety video is shown, there was nothing but rolling commercials.

Rides : Ouch! Million-Dollar Wreck in Monaco

It hurts to even look at the photo! All those amazing cars…it should be a sin to wreck any of those rides! Apparently, the horrid accident all went down in front of Monaco’s Place du Casino and involved five luxury cars with an estimated value of more than $1.1 million. The cars in the accident were: a Bentley Azure (worth an estimated $400,000), a Mercedes S-Class ($120,000), a Ferrari F430 ($230,000), an Aston Martin Rapide ($230,000) and a Porsche 911 ($130,000).
According to Sky News (a British TV network who reported on the incident), the accident occurred when the Bentley scraped the side of the Mercedes before plowing into the Ferrari. Then, the Bentley ran into the Aston Martin and the Porsche.

Rides : Ouch! Tito Ortiz Crashes His Rolls-Royce

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz managed to damage his Rolls Royce Phantom.

According to TMZ.com, Ortiz was involved in a three-car accident in his Rolls Royce. The former UFC light heavyweight champ got emotional over his smashed grill.
The accident happened in Costa Mesa, California, near a Denny’s restaurant the past weekend, and luckily, no one, besides the vehicles involved, got hurt.

“It was just a mistake, a mistake on my part,” Ortiz explained on Bruce Buffer’s “It’s Time” show on the Sherdog Radio Network. “I should have been paying attention a little more. I’ve just been crazy busy just going back and forth, and for just one little second stopped paying attention and it made the biggest difference. It cost me.”

At least Ortiz should be able to pay for repairs in a couple of weeks, when he should have a six-figure purse coming his way. He has a rematch scheduled with fellow former champion “Suga” Rashad Evans on Aug. 6 as the main event of UFC 133 in Philadelphia.

NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly OK after snowy smashup on Gowanus Expressway

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly was unhurt in a three-car smashup Wednesday.

A police car carrying NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly was involved in a three-car smashup on the snow-slick Gowanus Expressway on Wednesday, cops said.

The unmarked police vehicle - a 2008 Ford Expedition - was traveling behind a white van as it merged onto the Belt Parkway entrance ramp near 65th St. in Bay Ridge at 8 p.m., police said.

Suddenly, a red sedan cut off the van as the two-lane ramp narrowed to one lane - causing the driver of the Ford Econoline to brake hard and fishtail out of control, police said.

The van slid sideways and got wedged across the roadway between a snow embankment and a jersey barrier - causing the SUV carrying Kelly to T-bone the van at 40 mph, cops said.

A livery car behind Kelly's SUV smashed into the rear end of the vehicle.

No airbags were deployed in any of the vehicles.

Police and firefighters responded to the scene, but everyone involved refused medical attention.

All vehicles were damaged in the crash, but only the van had to be towed away.

The driver of the red sedan continued without stopping.