nsxt2000
03-23-2011, 06:25 PM
In 1998 one of our local NSX owners was selling his first NSX and buying a newer replacement NSX. A young friend was going to drive his older NSX to the high-line car auction in south Atlanta.
It was early in the morning and the fellow taking the NSX to auction was running late and speeding. He was traveling a four-lane divided road, but not a highway. As he went over a hill to pass a vehicle with a fifth wheel there was a tractor-trailer making an illegal left hand turn. The tractor-trailer had missed his turn and was going back to it.
At the crest of the hill the NSX driver saw the TT and swerved to the right to try getting by it. Unfortunately he was unable to clear and the NSX went under the back of the TT sticking out behind the rear wheels. The driver was killed instantly.
The police requested that I help them in the investigation as there was few data on the NSX with regard to stopping distances, etc. An accident investigator wanted to recreate the event on film, and I served as the NSX driver. That entailed driving at various high speeds and braking as I crested the same hill and other such actions.
Later I did a story in the "NSX Driver" reminding us all to drive safer - smarter - and slow down. Here are a few photographs I took related to the article. They are not meant to be sensationalism, but to point out how irresponsible driving is deadly.
A couple of additional notes related to this incidence -
* The truck driver was cited for his illegal turn and while I don't know the final court situation with him, the investigator told me what happened had ruined his life.
* I considered buying the car as the engine bay was relatively intact, but was out of town the day of the auction. It probably worked out best that way.
* The policeman working with me on the re-creation gave me his card and said not to consider it a "get out of jail free" card, but if I ever needed help related to his area call him and he would put in a good word for me. Fortunately I never needed to make the call.
-Mike S.
It was early in the morning and the fellow taking the NSX to auction was running late and speeding. He was traveling a four-lane divided road, but not a highway. As he went over a hill to pass a vehicle with a fifth wheel there was a tractor-trailer making an illegal left hand turn. The tractor-trailer had missed his turn and was going back to it.
At the crest of the hill the NSX driver saw the TT and swerved to the right to try getting by it. Unfortunately he was unable to clear and the NSX went under the back of the TT sticking out behind the rear wheels. The driver was killed instantly.
The police requested that I help them in the investigation as there was few data on the NSX with regard to stopping distances, etc. An accident investigator wanted to recreate the event on film, and I served as the NSX driver. That entailed driving at various high speeds and braking as I crested the same hill and other such actions.
Later I did a story in the "NSX Driver" reminding us all to drive safer - smarter - and slow down. Here are a few photographs I took related to the article. They are not meant to be sensationalism, but to point out how irresponsible driving is deadly.
A couple of additional notes related to this incidence -
* The truck driver was cited for his illegal turn and while I don't know the final court situation with him, the investigator told me what happened had ruined his life.
* I considered buying the car as the engine bay was relatively intact, but was out of town the day of the auction. It probably worked out best that way.
* The policeman working with me on the re-creation gave me his card and said not to consider it a "get out of jail free" card, but if I ever needed help related to his area call him and he would put in a good word for me. Fortunately I never needed to make the call.
-Mike S.