Trailer smashes car in another major collision
Overturned trailer, 26 Sept
(CNS): There was no let-up for the RCIPS traffic unit Tuesday, after a busy weekend of crashes and smashes on local roads. Just before 7:45 this morning another collision on Huldah Avenue saw the emergency services out in force when a trailer from a truck unhitched and collided with a vehicle that was travelling in the opposite direction. The driver of the smashed car was transported to the Cayman Islands Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said there was extensive damage to his vehicle. Signs and other roadside property was also damaged by the runaway trailer. The matter is now under police investigation.
Category: Local News
What I cannot understand is why these truck, trailers and all heavy equipments have to be in traffic when every persons and school buses are on the road at the same time. Why doesn’t government tier these truck drivers to say 9.00 am to 4 pm each work week? It would be a lot safer and considering families won’t be on the road rushing to work and school drops. It might just eliviate the traffic problem and guess what no cost to the government or to the people of these islands.
Heavy trucks especially (but also public buses and even school buses) are very unsafely operated here these days. School children often seen walking about in the buses whilst travelling. Public buses stopping anywhere in the road and pulling into traffic spewing thick black smoke. Dump trucks carrying marl wet of brackish / salt water pouring out the back and spraying over other vehicles. Uncovered loads. And all at dangerous speeds.
With rarely ever any Police presence, and when Police do cross by these traffic infractions they usually do nothing! And don’t even mention the amount of double parking and parking on yellow lines. Police do a very poor job with traffic matters now for many years!
Was behind a dump truck a couple of days ago, all 4 rear tyres were bald. I’m not talking, just reached the limit a month ago, I’m talking, 0 tread left on and probably looked like that during its last ‘inspection’. Absolute cowboys. This is so easy to actually police, so why can’t it be done.
RCIPS has a traffic unit!?
I was with a friend collecting his boat/trailer in Savannah a while back. As he was hitching it, he did not use the safety chain so I asked why not. No real answer but it did indeed come off as we drove down the road. Went off in a field of cows. Could have been a yard with children!
I’ll never forget looking out the passenger window and seeing it pass us…
So maybe you make him latch it next time? If your friend decided to drive after 15 beers but you were sober, would you still let him be the driver? Sounds like you’re an accomplice.
Did the trailer owner have trailer insurance? Hmmmm.
Talking of trailers the “Trolley Roger” should be banned as it is a dangerous traffic obstruction, how on earth it was licenced I cannot understand, unless it was good old Caymankind.
You have a tiny little SUV, the smallest on the market towing two trailers each loaded with over 30 largely overweight cruiseship passengers, travelling at a walking pace between the harbour and Smiths Cove. This causes large tailbacks in both directions as it is very difficult to overtake because the overwight trailers swing from side to side often crossing the center line of the road.
I suggest the head of the DVDL takes a drive behind this obstruction to see for himself the problems it causes to other road users.
Not Caymankind. The driver was/is NOT from here.
A while back when Senor Frogs was open he used to drive past and encourage yelling, shouting and whistling, so loud it disturbed conversation in our offices. Called to kindly ask them to avoid this and the next day it was even louder and longer.
I guess I learned my lesson… Expatkind.
And I’m an expat!
11.18am It has nothing to do with the driver. The owner of the business is I believe, a prominent Caymanian.
Unsafe trailers are rampant in Cayman. I’ve seen home-made trailers, with no lights or safety items. It was just a matter of time before an accident like this. Hopefully the driver’s injuries will not be long-lasting.
In any case, RCIPS and DVDL must be more vigilant and active on this threat.
Trailer owners: get your trailers insured and licensed.
All it takes is a safety chain around the trailer hitch. SIDD
That type of trailer in the photo, they don’t have chain install. It is the failure of the fifth wheel which more likely it wasn’t lock in properly. Fifth wheel design to not break even if truck overturn.
Ok , here is how to hook up a fifth wheel trailer. Make sure fifth wheel is unlocked back tractor under the trailer until you feel the fifth wheel hit the pin, get out of tractor check fifth wheel lever to be sure it has retracted, hook up two air hoses. Get in tractor, set trailer brake and pull forward, if tractor does not move you are safely hooked up. If tractor move forward you have missed the pin and are going to lose your trailer if you drive off.
Why do people capitalise nouns like that? It is so annoying. We are not German.
The real ‘responsibility’ here lies with the continued failure of the DMVL to implement any serious change to the Testing standards through which ALL persons should have to progress in order to qualify for the different Classes of driver’s licenses.
Most drivers here don’t even know the rules of an intersection or cross-walk, let alone badic HGV operating and safety protocols.
I see them driving around every day, expired license, full speed, uncovered loads, ‘Jake-brake’ barking with every gear-change, marl spilling from the tailgate, and spewing clouds of dark smoke because they tamper with the fuel pump.
I’m not saying that this applies to this particular accident, (I don’t know) but there is a very real lack of any serious road standards in this country. This is WHY we have so many accidents per capita, not because of ‘foreigners’ as some moron wrote recently.
How many more people are to be killed or injured before this matter is addressed?
There is a vast difference between a hot hatch, a dump truck and an 18 wheel trailer, yet I regularly see teenagers driving trucks that they cannot possibly be insured to drive.
It take YEARS to qualify for an HGV in the US, CA, UK or EU.
A DL is not a ‘right’ it is a privalage for which you must be suitably qualified and responsible.
We NEED to implement a written ‘re-test’ for ALL drivers whenever they renew their DL so we ensure that all drivers are familiar with the Road Rules and Laws, and set the passmark at 80% … because if you don’t know the Laws & Rules of the road, then frankly you shouldn’t be driving!
The percentage required for obtaining you Driver’s License (at least for the group 2) is 32/40, which equates to 80%.
You forgot to add firetrucks to the list of the vehicles that require additional training to drive.
I hope that the people that were taken to the Hospital is safe and well and get get your Lawyers ready . Sometimes people have to learn responsibility the hard way .
Hope the trailer was insured and licensed, for a lot of them is not, especially in the Brac.