Airmen killed in crash trying to avoid couch
We now know the names of two Schriever Air Force Base airmen killed in a crash east of Colorado Springs on Highway 94.
Airman 1st class Edward Yu and airman 1st class Abtron, or Tron, O’Neal.
They were assigned to the 3rd space operations squadron.
The crash happened at six in the morning Wednesday in the 85-hundred block of Highway 94. Colorado Springs Police say the driver tried to avoid a red couch in the road and hit a pickup truck.
We looked at the repercussions of leaving something in the road, that can cause an accident, or even death.
“We have two confirmed deaths here on the scene. Preliminary investigation revealed there was a partial obstruction on the roadway looked like a couch that may have fallen off or was dumped out here,”said Lt. Ritz with the Colorado Springs Police Department.
A couch stranded in the middle of the road. That’s all it could take to cause an accident or even death.
“It happens a lot, I’ve heard stories people getting to a sight and realize I’m missing a whole piece of furniture that they never knew disappeared,” explains John Wiggens with Rockies Moving and Storage.
He says it’s a mistake that can be easily avoided.
“You want to make sure the strap is made for the tension that you’re looking for. That the strap is going to hold down a thousand pound couch. This truck is equipped with tie-downs that are made out of metal to the beds so their pretty strong,” said Wiggens.
So before you hit the road make sure you have enough tie-downs to secure all the items you’re moving and make sure those items are the right strength. Above all, make sure nothing can escape your vehicle because you are the one heldliable.
Under Colorado State Statute, no vehicle should be moved or driven unless a load is completely secure. If it’s not, a person could be liable for negligence. If someone dies as a result, that’s criminally negligent homicide.
“Learn what the state liabilities are in your area, learn how to do it and the safest way to do it. As the driver of that vehicle, you are responsible for everything on the vehicle,” said Wiggens.
