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In Turlock CA, a speeding drunk driver hit the rear of a man's car whilst he was at a stop sign. The collision was so bad that the poor man's cry ignited in fire and burned down. The man died from burning to death. The guy who hit him escaped with minor injuries.
Okay, this is frightening to me. So if someone hits your car in high speed, whilst at a stop, your car can burn down? Excuse my knowledge in cars, because cars and automotive aren't my hing. But is this common? Or it is a rare occurrence? Could his car been 'faulty'?
The gas tank is in the rear so certainly the risk is there though cars are designed to avoid this in most scenarios. But there's always that edge case.
You have the heat from the car engine that hits the sitting car. You have gas in that sitting car. The impact could crumple the car to the point of trapping the driver depending on the speed of course.
The cruze is a small car. Depending on the speed of the mustang it could have easily broken through any safety devices on the Cruze. They said no sign of him hitting the brakes.
It is rare but not unheard of. If the collision ruptured the fuel tank and the fumes come in contact with any ignition source, whether it be friction sparks, sparks from damaged wiring, etc., you'll have a fire.
Cars have gotten better over the years, partially because of the government telling them they have to do certain things. That Pinto example was a good one of how an unprotected fuel tank can be crushed and rupture. The model A Ford had the fuel tank sitting right over your lap in the top of the cowl.
But no design is perfect, and when you have 15-20 gallons of flammable liquid stored behind you, sometimes things go wrong. But it is not something that happens every time a car is rear ended.
Fuel leak + ignition source = fire. If the victim was knocked unconscious or badly dazed, or trapped...let's hope he was unconscious. I can't imagine a worse death. First thing to do when you're on the brakes is check your rearview.
Drunks and nuts are out at all hours. 7am in this case. Disgusting. The drunk is usually uninjured.
In Turlock CA, a speeding drunk driver hit the rear of a man's car whilst he was at a stop sign. The collision was so bad that the poor man's cry ignited in fire and burned down. The man died from burning to death. The guy who hit him escaped with minor injuries.
Okay, this is frightening to me. So if someone hits your car in high speed, whilst at a stop, your car can burn down? Excuse my knowledge in cars, because cars and automotive aren't my hing. But is this common? Or it is a rare occurrence? Could his car been 'faulty'?
It's uncommon for a car to catch fire in a rear-end collision, due to improved construction and safety features. The Ford Pinto was famous for catching fire when it was a$$-ended but that was a 1970's vehicle
The force of the collision likely caused a rupture in the fuel tank on the victim's car. Pretty much anything could have ignited the fumes/fuel at that point--electrical system wiring,etc.
My thoughts are with you and I can't even imagine what his family is going through. Only 28 years old. What a waste.
the tank doesnt even have to rupture either. if the fuel line breaks, many are either rubber or plastic and over time can deteriorate and fracture, and then leak fuel. and then all you need is an ignition source.
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