Death of a 73-79 Dentside Yesterday

[fuzzier1]

Sadly, I witnessed the death of a 73-79 F150 yesterday.

I was in Colorado Springs this week for work and when I finished yesterday I had to drive home to NM. Left the facility at around 4 pm and headed to I-25 south. I was on the freeway for 2-3 miles with everyone running 70-75 mph when for an unknown reason traffic in front of us slowed to almost a stop. I started braking hard when I noticed the mentioned F150 locking up the brakes with the rear end starting to come around towards the left. The driver let off the brakes and the tires caught and the rear end swapped to the right and the driver tried to drive out of it. This was the mistake. With the truck now aimed towards the median, he didn't have time to get it stopped on the pavement and it went into the median and spun around across the median (40-50 feet wide) and into the on coming side of the freeway. Missed the first car by a few feet but had spun around where they went head-on into a Dodge Ram (I think, didn't look close at that truck).

3 of us on the south bound side pulled over and ran to help while of course the north bound side had to stop with several coming to help. Both the driver and the passenger in the F150 were alive (thank God) but they were messed up and trapped in the truck. The driver had both legs broken below the knees and the passenger had a compound fracture of his right wrist and I'm sure both had other injuries. The Ram driver had contusions on his chest (from the seat belt and airbag) but was otherwise OK. I'm sure he walked away.

What was shocking to me was the condition of the trucks. While both were of course totaled the F150 waded up like a tin can and it took several of us several minutes to pry open the drivers door while the Ram's doors still opened no problem. I doubt that it would (I'm sure the radiator was pushed into the front of the engine) but if the Ram would have started I think it could of been driven off.

My whole point of this story is to be safe out there, these old trucks were not designed to protect the passengers like the new vehicles are. Please be safe everyone and I hope the two in the F150 (and the older gentleman in the Ram) have a speedy and FULL recovery.

[idaho_cowboy]

Thanks for posting.

It's always worth an extra prayer when hitting the roads out there. Not only are these old trucks usually a bit more of a handful, but also, half of the drivers on the roads have their face down in a cell-phone. Be careful!

- Joseph

[Jacksdad]

Absolutely right. Most of the stuff I own tends to be old, and I've lost count of the number of times I've had people tell me I'd be okay in an accident because my car/truck is so strong. Without shoulder belts, air bags, and crumple zones, and sharp edges surrounding the occupants? Erm, no. There's a reason they build vehicles like they do now.

[59yblockf100]

any accidents are bad,theres good and bad about new and old trucks/cars,old trucks/cars a impact is more hard on the on the driver/passenges but I feel way safer,in a crash at 55 a would rather be in a older one as they don't cave in so bad,newer ones are great at low speeds for safety due to air bags they always suffer more damage but are safe,i got hit head on by a newer pickup at 50 he was drunk,i walked away,they had to cut him out of the truck,it folded like a can,my head hit top steering wheel and my stomach was hurting due to lap belt,

[fuzzier1]

59y block, every accident is different I realize but from what I saw Thursday I would have to disagree. That 73-79 crumpled like a beer can where the newer truck could have possibly driven away. I estimate they were probably each doing between 40 and 60 when they hit. If I had my choice of being in an accident, I would rather be in a newer vehicle. One for the safety and two so we don't lose another classic truck. Before the wreck, the old Ford looked to be in pretty decent shape for an old classic. Real shame it was killed.

[tsherry]

There isn't an old vehicle in my inventory that I feel perfectly safe in...factually, they are scary to drive on the freeway in stock, non-upgraded condition. Around town, OK, but I drive very defensively when behind the death spear steering columns in any of my '60's Fords.

[59yblockf100]

Christmas eve 1996 got hit head on by a drunk driver with my wife and kids in the truck,we walked away both fenders were pushed into the tires ,rad push to the grille,we got bruises from the seat belts,no so for the other driver in a Tahoe,1987 got off work late.pulled a 15 hr day,didnt see the black angus bull standing in the road it was standing sideways in my lane , I hit it at 55 with out hitting the brakes,1972 international 4x4 truck was totaled,i walked away again, chp said it was because I had good old American steel around me,not tin and plastic,i drive 180-200 miles a day seen a lot of wrecks mostly due to deer or snow on the road way.if you owned drove and been in accidents with old and new trucks/cars you would think different,every body has a option

[Oldsch]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=joMK1WZjP7g


Not even close...unfortunately

[59yblockf100]

you no that utube video been debated a lot since it is not a head on crash but a hit next to the frame,hed on crashes were you have plastic bumpers,no frame against a steel bumper frame car ,its not a match,engines back then like these old ford trucks here once bolted in are designed not to move,that was a lot of the protection back then,but I been there,seen different,but look closely at the video its a almost hit to the headlight area not head on,and you can see theres no motor in the old car,

[fuzzier1]

59yblock, I just wished you had been there south CO Springs last Thursday, you would have a different take on what you are saying here. Explain to me why the old Ford crumpled like a beer can while the newer Dodge (or whatever it was) was totaled but not NEAR as bad as the Ford?

[farmallmta]

I was passed recently by a tow truck with a wrecked SmartCar on the platform. The car was barely recognizable as a car except that.... the body cage was only slightly distorted and the airbags had deployed. The rest of the car was in badly crumpled and mangled pieces. I have no idea what hit that car, but the fact that the occupants obviously walked away from it speaks volume to the emphasis put on safety in current auto design. If I hadn't seen this with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it either. But that dinky little car took that bad crash and saved the occupants. Very impressive, indeed.

[59yblockf100]

all I was saying is older trucks/cars are stronger,newer cars as the one you seen crashed are only able to handle a crash at 25-30 mph max,car would be totaled,older trucks cars would not be totaled,the early mid ford cars has springs in the bumper braces,when hit bumper would push in and come back out,car would not get damaged at 10 mph,just think if you hit something in a new car at 10 mph head on,most new cars don't have frames,my 09 crown vic has a full frame,it will a 30 mile a hr crash with no problem,all the protection on these new cars are needed or car companys would not be able to sell them,they are designed to crush under inpact,thats there protection,good protection in city under 30 mph ,any thing else deadly,

[sargentrs]

I was personally in a wreck similar to the video back in 1977. A '67 4 door Impala and a '69 Torino. My buddy was driving the Torino and 6 people were in the Impala. We were all toasted and drunk of course. Left headlights met center of hoods. We were doing around 45 mph and the Impala was going at least 60 according to the cops. My friend took 50 stitches from his left eyebrow and down across his nose from impact with the steering wheel and the other driver lost his front 4 teeth. The rest of us walked away with minor scrapes and bruises. Nobody was wearing a seatbelt. Both cars were totalled of course but most of the damage was like you drew a line from the center of the hood to the drivers side mirror on both cars. Nobody got a DUI either. God was with us all that night for sure.