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Post by nycrusader2010 on Jan 16, 2020 7:59:07 GMT -5
Do we have any updates on how ths injured are doing? Continuing to pray that they are all in process of making full recovery.
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Post by Tom on Jan 16, 2020 8:11:49 GMT -5
I don’t want to get specific, but the injuries are very serious and they all could use our prayers. For what I assume to be HIPAA rules not a lot of public information about the injured. However, the ABC-TV affiliate in Boston reported that Coach Diggins is in ICU. For what it's worth, there are enough team members that they don't fit in one van. There was a second van following that was not involved in crash, so about half the team is physically fine.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jan 16, 2020 8:17:58 GMT -5
I was just down over the week-end at Vero Beach. I know exactly where the spot of the accident occurred. I must have traveled over that bridge 5 times coming from the south (direction of the pick-up). The traffic lights down there can be confusing. They are the horizontal type. So when the van approached the area to turn onto the bridge there are two green lights, one for going straight and one on the left to take a turn, but no green arrow like we have in Mass. I can see why the van took the turn, probably thinking it has the "right of way". So sad......I know Coach Diggins quite well and my prayers are with him and all the members of the Crew Team. If he was in fact the driver, I know he would not have tried to cut in front of the pick-up.Fr The Globe has an extensive article this morning, written by five/six reporters. From the Globe Another factor may have been the time of day, the accident occurred just after sunrise, The intersection, at the eastbound turn lane, from Google streetview. goo.gl/maps/s6azkbnxcSr4r9Df8
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Post by timholycross on Jan 16, 2020 8:40:03 GMT -5
Trips like this, I assume that they fly down and rent the vans....they just do short trips to and from hotels,restaurants, etc.....quite different than driving the vans all over creation.
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Post by Non Alum Dave on Jan 16, 2020 9:04:40 GMT -5
My friend is the Salem State women's basketball coach. He drives the team around in the van; going out to Western Mass tonight. This really jolted him.
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Post by hcpride on Jan 16, 2020 9:07:23 GMT -5
I was just down over the week-end at Vero Beach. I know exactly where the spot of the accident occurred. I must have traveled over that bridge 5 times coming from the south (direction of the pick-up). The traffic lights down there can be confusing. They are the horizontal type. So when the van approached the area to turn onto the bridge there are two green lights, one for going straight and one on the left to take a turn, but no green arrow like we have in Mass. I can see why the van took the turn, probably thinking it has the "right of way". So sad......I know Coach Diggins quite well and my prayers are with him and all the members of the Crew Team. If he was in fact the driver, I know he would not have tried to cut in front of the pick-up. Yes. (Police spokesman Darrel) "Rivers said the preliminary investigation reveals that both vehicles had green lights and the van should have yielded to the truck." www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/one-student-dead-other-injured-in-vero-beach-holy-cross-crew-van-crash/2177483/ Absolutely tragic.
Here in NY we have the same green arrow at certain intersections that you note in MA and that (when present) indicates a right of way.
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Post by sader1970 on Jan 16, 2020 9:16:42 GMT -5
That's also my understanding from someone who is involved in these things for multiple schools. Apparently, schools used to rent or owned vans for smaller teams to make these kinds of trips but generally all schools stopped doing this due to the inexperience of drivers of vans traveling long distances and the real risk of accidents. With my experience in insurance, though not this specific situation, I would make a very educated guess that the insurance cost of such long trips/risks would make this prohibitive.
I would be shocked to learn that these were not vans rented locally after traveling down to Florida in a more traditional mode.
Our focus now should be on the deceased and injured students, their families and of those students though not injured, undoubtedly traumatized by witnessing the accident and its aftermath. Our continued, thoughts, prayers and support for all of them.
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Post by classof83 on Jan 16, 2020 9:17:34 GMT -5
Does anyone know the speed limit there?
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Post by timholycross on Jan 16, 2020 9:31:54 GMT -5
One of the things I read said it's 55 in both directions near that accident scene.
In Florida, you're usually talking about long, flat stretches of road unlike up here where there's so many hills and curves and other things.
I get honked at a lot when I'm going to make a turn and I'm not 100% sure the person on the other side is going to stop. After something like this, I bet I get honked at even more. Trust but verify.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jan 16, 2020 9:42:34 GMT -5
Trips like this, I assume that they fly down and rent the vans....they just do short trips to and from hotels,restaurants, etc.....quite different than driving the vans all over creation. When's the men's crew races in Washington DC in the spring, they travel by Fox bus; I even saw the bus with the crusader with sword logo. The shells are transported on a large, open-sided trailer pulled by a large pickup. For a Florida trip, I assume the team would borrow shells from the practice facility. If HC can't afford to fly them to Florida, they shouldn't be making the trip. I think whether, once there, they ought hire a chauffeured limo van, holding 25-30, for local transport is something that should be looked at / mandated.
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Post by JRGNYR on Jan 16, 2020 9:47:27 GMT -5
There are plenty of examples of coaches driving vans of athletes around, even at the D1 level. While I'm sure there will be a review of that practice in the wake of this, the immediate attention and concern should be to the Rett family and to the health and convalescence of those injured. Let's focus our thoughts there for now.
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Post by rgs318 on Jan 16, 2020 9:56:24 GMT -5
I drove a mini-van (and a small bus) for m any years with our school teams (always for bowling and for some cross country needs). It can be harrowing at times. Once, in a snow storm, I was waiting to. make a right hand turn (with signals on). A car pulled out to pass by driving through a safety island and trying to cut us off. I simply made the turn when clear. He was left sitting g in the island. He then followed us and kept honking for several miles. There is something about school vans that can make folks quite hostile. It is unfortunate.
PS: I never had an accident. Perhaps we were being helped out by a higher power.
PPS: A yuck suggestion, we have entered Grace's name in our book for remembrance in our Church for each mass for the next week. If you think of it, you might try to do the same at your local church.
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Post by classof83 on Jan 16, 2020 10:02:20 GMT -5
I was on the crew team in the 80's.
We would do our trip during spring break. The students had to cover the costs of the trip.
One year we went to Knoxville Tennessee. Each of us had to find our own way down there. I went down with 3 other guys in one of the guy's cars. I think most of the guys on the team drove, since most of us couldn't afford the cost of a flight. We drove straight through from Worcester and each of us took turns driving. IIRC the Captains drove the shells down on a trailer attached to a truck. I assume they drove straight through as well.
At the time crew may have been considered a club team,
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Post by rickii on Jan 16, 2020 11:48:55 GMT -5
I was just down over the week-end at Vero Beach. I know exactly where the spot of the accident occurred. I must have traveled over that bridge 5 times coming from the south (direction of the pick-up). The traffic lights down there can be confusing. They are the horizontal type. So when the van approached the area to turn onto the bridge there are two green lights, one for going straight and one on the left to take a turn, but no green arrow like we have in Mass. I can see why the van took the turn, probably thinking it has the "right of way". So sad......I know Coach Diggins quite well and my prayers are with him and all the members of the Crew Team. If he was in fact the driver, I know he would not have tried to cut in front of the pick-up. Someone posted a Google street view. Clearly shows that there is both a green lamp and a green arrow lamp side by side in the freeze frame. Obviously, that is a bad/confusing set-up signal for a left-turn lane.
Clearly this appears to be a busy road with a reported 55mph speed limit
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Post by moose1970 on Jan 16, 2020 11:51:23 GMT -5
I was just down over the week-end at Vero Beach. I know exactly where the spot of the accident occurred. I must have traveled over that bridge 5 times coming from the south (direction of the pick-up). The traffic lights down there can be confusing. They are the horizontal type. So when the van approached the area to turn onto the bridge there are two green lights, one for going straight and one on the left to take a turn, but no green arrow like we have in Mass. I can see why the van took the turn, probably thinking it has the "right of way". So sad......I know Coach Diggins quite well and my prayers are with him and all the members of the Crew Team. If he was in fact the driver, I know he would not have tried to cut in front of the pick-up.Fr The Globe has an extensive article this morning, written by five/six reporters. From the Globe Another factor may have been the time of day, the accident occurred just after sunrise, The intersection, at the eastbound turn lane, from Google streetview. goo.gl/maps/s6azkbnxcSr4r9Df8was HC van driver temporarily blinded by early morning sun rise as he made left hand turn?
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Post by inhocsigno on Jan 16, 2020 11:59:49 GMT -5
I would suggest that conjecture re the cause of the accident is not particularly helpful right now.
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Post by timholycross on Jan 16, 2020 12:14:42 GMT -5
Seconded...until it's demonstrated otherwise, let's assume everyone involved, the college in general, the AA, the state of FL, Vero Beach, the rental company, the adults in charge, the drivers, the passengers; were doing the right thing. There's many tangents we can go off on and they don't contribute to the situation at hand. Plenty of time for all that.
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Post by Ignutz on Jan 16, 2020 12:30:19 GMT -5
I was just down over the week-end at Vero Beach. I know exactly where the spot of the accident occurred. I must have traveled over that bridge 5 times coming from the south (direction of the pick-up). The traffic lights down there can be confusing. They are the horizontal type. So when the van approached the area to turn onto the bridge there are two green lights, one for going straight and one on the left to take a turn, but no green arrow like we have in Mass. I can see why the van took the turn, probably thinking it has the "right of way". So sad......I know Coach Diggins quite well and my prayers are with him and all the members of the Crew Team. If he was in fact the driver, I know he would not have tried to cut in front of the pick-up. Someone posted a Google street view. Clearly shows that there is both a green lamp and a green arrow lamp side by side in the freeze frame. Obviously, that is a bad/confusing set-up signal for a left-turn lane.
Clearly this appears to be a busy road with a reported 55mph speed limit
Agreed. That far left signal should only be red, yellow and green arrows, not a solid green ahead of that center turn lane. That’s absolutely horrible, and obviously a significant contributing factor. A tragedy for all involved, but very avoidable with some basic common sense on the part of the government entity that manages that road.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jan 16, 2020 13:09:14 GMT -5
Someone posted a Google street view. Clearly shows that there is both a green lamp and a green arrow lamp side by side in the freeze frame. Obviously, that is a bad/confusing set-up signal for a left-turn lane.
Clearly this appears to be a busy road with a reported 55mph speed limit
Agreed. That far left signal should be red, yellow and green arrows, not a solid green ahead of that center turn lane. That’s absolutely horrible, and obviously a significant contributing factor. A tragedy for all involved, but very avoidable with some basic common sense on the part of the government entity that manages that road. goo.gl/maps/mqfmkEdmmSnPDZfJ6Google street view of the signals. The signals are about 125 feet distant from the stop line for vehicles turning east to cross the bridge. Note the sign indicating that vehicles turning east are to yield on green. I have never encountered such a sign. And as this route is a four-six lane divided highway, the speed limit is probably 55 mph, even with an intersection. goo.gl/maps/iiD5NPvdAUUpZa9L6^^^Another intersection, about a mile to the south same highway. goo.gl/maps/VBPZWtGGZReeT7dr9^^^ Hard to believe this is good traffic engineering on a 55 mph divided highway. There is not even a stop or yield sign.
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Post by timholycross on Jan 16, 2020 13:34:15 GMT -5
This was a Vero Beach, FL report this morning:
""All eight are still in the hospital as of this morning," said Tiffany Woods, Lawnwood's public relations and communications director.
Of those eight, she said two were drivers of the vehicles involved, including the team's van and the Dodge pickup truck that hit the van.
"We have three in critical condition, two in serious condition and three in good condition," Woods said, and added later. "There were surgeries."
She did not want to identify the individuals or their conditions any further, but she said, "It’s possible that we might have one patient leave today."
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Post by WorcesterGray on Jan 16, 2020 13:51:50 GMT -5
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Post by hchoops on Jan 16, 2020 13:53:56 GMT -5
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Post by hchoops on Jan 16, 2020 13:54:51 GMT -5
Thank God and continued prayers for the unconscious patient
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Post by Crucis#1 on Jan 16, 2020 17:29:43 GMT -5
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Post by Crucis#1 on Jan 16, 2020 17:43:44 GMT -5
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