Cobra Crash This Morning !

[Gary Stubbs]

Wow,
I will never miss another outing. Glad you are doing well Stuart. Keep the bandages from the broken finger for court and the lady suv driver for the sunshine test also. Good job you guys for saving stuart from those useless cables. gary

[mobilenuke]

From what I saw in my mirror he was sideways going off the road and through the dust cloud his car appeared to be airborne. I think we were all lucky that day. I know that Dan and I are lucky that our female companions were not with us as they probably would have been by our cars when the SUV came crashing in.

I'm just bummed that the powerball ticket I bought earlier didn't win.
Guess I used my luck for that day up at the cash scene. I think I still won.

Jeff

[h2oman]

They installed some of those same cheese cutter cables in southern MD not too long ago. I cussed it as they were going up and I cuss them even more now!

Stuart, Glad to hear you're going to be ok. Very lucky you have fast acting friends with a good heads that remained calm. Just remember it can always be worse. Get well soon.

[Paul Gillespie]

Just talked with Stuart, he sounded great still looking at a 2nd surgery later this evening and he should be released no later than tommorrow. Get well brother!

Dan & Jeff, I'm sorry about your cars, however I just want to say they probably saved my life. I was walking in that direction and was 15-20 feet away from Jeff's car when the lady lost control and I was able to run out of the way. (that had to be a sight - I haven't run that fast since I was in High School!) Anyway - if she'd hit the police car directly - I'd be sharing a hospital room with Stuart - or worse. Wow - again - I'm grateful for those cars being there.
- Paul

[decooney]

Originally Posted by HighPlainsDrifter

Duane,
The rollbar did not necessarily come through this time - don't think it was impacted at all....Perry.

Hi Perry,
From the way the picture looks to me, it appears as if the rollbar was not there, the car would have kept moving forward. Or, maybe it just seems that way from the angle of the car. I keep looking at the gap between the cable, the seat, and the left hoop of the rollbar and can see how he would have been pinned. ugh. I too saw the gouges at the top of the fenders in the first set of pictures and how it ripped the hood scoop off. He probably had no time to duck, at all. If that inner bar tube didn't stop the car from moving even a slight 1/2 inch further, someone above must have been with Stuart. Still very amazed at just how lucky he was. Being a near death survivor myself in a horrific race boat accident in 1981 as a kid, I wonder if some of us might actually have nine lives or something. Those other folks who were not sitting in their cars are just unbelieveably lucky as well. Oh my gosh. So amazing how it all turned out. Could have been quite different, and everyone can thank the lucky stars it turned out as well as it did and all survived.

In any case, everyone is alive with a lot of friends and support here on CC.

[mobilenuke]

Paul, I was wondering who that blurr was that went by me as I was heading toward my car. Stupid as I am, when I heard the squeeling tires I headed to the cars saying things about the SUV driver as she smashed into Dans' CCX.
I also seem to gravitate to the sound of gunfire also. Guess you can't take the combat Navy corpsman out of the system. Crashes and gunfire seem to pull me in like a magnet.


Jeff

[john chesnut]

My thoughts and prayers are with all involved. Thank God that the out come was not worse. I was an Arizona DPS officer back in the 70's. The number 1 cause of injuries to officers was being struck by a car. And, this was before cell phones. I can only imagine that it's worse now. The fact is that drivers going into an accident scene are drawn to it visually. We all know that the natural tendency is to turn into the direction that we are lookin.
I was off duty helping a motorists and was run into full throttle and pinned between my car and the truck I was helping. I didn't walk much for 2 years and had 5 surgeries to be able to get around pretty good.
The cable barriers are a hazard. I once threatened to site the State of AZ in an accident for an unsafe barrier. Maybe some one needs to take a look at these as well.
Stuart, I don't know you, but my best for a speedy recovery and great work by all of the club members. John

[speedracer67]

Texas is putting these cables systems up now.
One is on HW 183 in Austin Texas near the airport.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Hi,
I was about 100 yards behind him and he went left instantly, though the dust I'm pretty sure I saw the cobra go over the the cables,probably ripped off the right sidepipe then. He slid a long ways and probably scrubbed off enough speed to stop under the cables. Your mind speeds up when something like this happens and I could see the side of the cobra in slow motion, then the dust engulfed it. Cats aren't the only ones with 9 lives,I know,as I too have used up about 5 lives,hopefully Stu has 8 left.
Perry.

[speedracer67]

Does anyone know how he went over the cables and then got under them to come to a stop?
Rick

[Fitz]

Jo in her earlier Fitz statement seems pretty sure she heard few other people talking about Stuart going up in the air and over. If that is what happened, Stuart had to have some guardian angel with him in that car. To walk away from that with:
"What the ShX?/>.< happened?"
"What do you mean my car is totaled!"
"Two broken fingers and a headache.

After leaving Globe later on in the day, I reached over and told Jo, my wife to tighten up her harness. I have a new appreciation for the whole harness thing. It was a freaking miracle that everything turned out the way it did and no one was killed.

[richardferguson]

An unfortunate guy on a motorcycle was decapitated sliding beneath a set of cables near here. They just seem like a cheap, not particularly effective barrier when compared to concrete.
I'll stay in the centre lane when in the cobra from now on.
Get well soon, Stuart.
Richard

[Brent Mills]

Originally Posted by mikiec

I think all the club members there did a great service for Stuart. We usually travel in a large group. This trip we left the meeting place with 14 cobras.

This pic was sent to me Ginny and I talked about posting. Nothing graphic. It does show Stuart sitting on the cable that moments before was chocking him. The DPS officer is there with him and before the Firefighters etc showed up.

For those that do not know what a cable barrier looks like....

Arriving late to this thread, but I want to wish Stuart and all involved, the very best. Get better and back on the road quickly, Stuart.

[jimw427]

Wow,

This is heard to believe, Thank God everyone is going to be OK. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

Jim

[Danr55]

Fitz, When I looked in my rearview mirror, I could see Stuart in a flat spin going over the cables. The dust cloud was behind and below him. I was certain that there was another vehicle involved. Guess I was wrong. I think when he hit on the west bound side of the cables, he flipped once because his windshield was about 50 yards west of where the car was.

[RJG]

These cable systems will save lives.
Looking at the last picture, that is a sub standard cable system. It uses eyebolts to connect the cables. BAD idea
It needs to be at grade not below grade.
Best wished for everyone that was involves and I hope your cars are replaces or fixed.
Get well fast Stuart.

Here is a Video of the current design of the cable barriers that work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10L8421s18Q

[xracerbob]

Try this one and imagine yourself in the Cobra. Give me a guardrail or Jersey barrier anyday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCn6_...eature=related

[AZ Pete]

I'm late seeing this thread but I'm in awe of the quick action by all involved, and the support of the Cobra community. Best wishes to Stuart for a quick recovery. Last week I was lamenting that my FFR Cobra is still out getting painted so I couldn't participate. Now, I look forward to getting involved with such a wonderful group.
Pete

[Got the Bug]

Wow!! Now I understand the type of barrier that was involved in the accident. Truly a miracle that Stuart survived!

I can understand that the cable barrier is a low cost method to prevent cars from crossing over the divider, but to the design is pathetic. It seems like it the barrier would be more effective if they added at least one or maybe two more cables closest to the ground. The current design is a recipe for disaster since any lower production vehicle or motorcycle could pass under barrier into oncoming traffic.

[Mike Brasfield]

After Stu was sitting up and appeared to be OK I walked the path of his accident. There are vertical supports for those cables about 20' apart. Two of these supports were flat to the ground. I wonder if Stu could have gone under the cables backwards with the help of his roll bar support? I found his side pipe at this location. His passenger door skin was 100' further down the road on the westbound slow lane. There was debree and personal belongs scattered for another 100' feet. It's pretty clear that Stu did enter the westbound lanes before going back into the cables.

I am very proud to see our fellow Cobra owners and manufacturers offering moral and financial support. I think this accident has crossed over to all web sites and all to all models. What a warm feeling to know there is such support out there for the unfortunate guys that lost their "babies".

Dan...as you know I don't live far from you. I have about any tools you need to rebuild or re-fit your next ride. Let me know when you want me to come over. If you don't have the room at your place we can put my Cobra in your garage use my garage to rebuild or tweak your new Cobra.

Stu...by now you are probably tired of reading this. But get well buddy. I hope we see you on the Route 66 trip. You have certainly become a nation wide celebrity, Mr. Ironhead.