50 MPH+straight highway+Black Ice =

[crew84]

Last Sunday I was driving eastbound on highway 80 in Nevada. I was between Sparks, NV and Lovelock, NV. There was hardy any vehicles traveling my direction since Donner Pass was closed that night before to traffic. The Slow lane was the lane with I was traveling. I noticed slick spots while I was driving. I reduced my speed from 65 to 55mph. I came to a high area which showed a long stretch of highway. About 400 yards ahead were 2 vehicles with one off the road on the right side and the other on the right shoulder. It was a small car off the road in about a foot of snow. I started to reduce my speed. I decided to go around the vehicle on the shoulder in the fast lane. My mistake! Black Ice! I started to lose control of the rear of the truck. It started to spin to the right and that was not the way I wanted to go off the road. That was toward the median which was shouldered like a ' V '. I was able to correct the spin to the right which made it spin towards the left which was flat. I managed to get it going off the road straight backwards at a 30 degree angle to the road. The snow slowed me down but then built up enough to rotate me 90 degrees and gently tipped the truck up on the side. No impact at all! The damage was from the packed snow it was lying on. I first shut the key off and talked to my wife about how she was. I turned the key on and I called OnStar which called the State Troopers and tow truck. I shut the key off. The same vehicle I went around drove forward and opened my door and I climbed out. My wife followed.
Later the tow truck pulled me over and then back on the road. It started right up. I lost about a quart of ATF through the filter tube. I filled that up. I drove it about 1/4 mile before it stopped smoking. It ran well. I drove to Reno and went to Sears Auto Center. They checked it out and adjusted the alignment which was slightly out. I drove it home and got an estimate on repair. $10,000. Just four items were over $500. each. Two wheels scratched badly, the towing mirror, and the passenger door. http://pages.prodigy.net/archery1/Image007.jpg
http://pages.prodigy.net/archery1/Image008.jpg

[dcalex]

Thanks for sharing that Crew84. Lessons for us all to be had in the reading. Black ice is something that just has to be encountered to be appreciated....there's nothing like it....happened to me once here in the mountains where I live. I knew the ice was on the road so was only going 20 mph when I hit a patch.....did the ole' slow 360. There's not a thing you can do except ride it out and feel silly because there IS nothing you can do.
Glad no one was hurt.
Did you see the people in Denver jumping out of their moving cars as they were slowly sliding into the ever increasing pileup. It's a wonder they weren't hit by other out of control vehicles or ran over by their own cars.

[crew84]

The State Trooper was trying to slow people down which nobody did. After about a dozen big rigs drove over the ice it turned it slush. I was luckier than another pickup about ten miles down the road. It went into the median and on its roof. It was a newer Ford 4X4 F250. They were dragging it out.
One more item! My TransferFlow Toolbox tank in the bed did not leak at all! It had Twenty Gallons in it.

[Turbo Al]

Sounds like you did everything possible to be carefull and you still took a hit.
When I was in Alberta I would look as far ahead as possible (which you did) and if I even thought there was a car pulled over I would slow down considerably (which you did) and sure as heck it would be black ice and there was usally 5 or 6 guys stacked up in the farmers fence or field. This method only works IF you are not the first one though it!
Al

[Snowbear]

Wow, glad to hear your alright...We get alot of the similar conditions here in NY...
I managed to get it going off the road straight backwards at a 30 degree angle to the road.
im confused but to me it sounds like you went off the road backwards..if so wouldnt that be hard on allison?
Again glad to hear your ok, hope you never have to expereience it again...

[crew84]

im confused but to me it sounds like you went off the road backwards..if so wouldnt that be hard on allison? The wheels had no traction and by the time I was going backwards my foot was off the throttle. I would guess the wheels never had a chance to grab because it was loose gravel under the snow. I did apply the brakes at the last second before I stopped. I knew better than to hit the brakes on ice.

[tanker]

Very lucky, glad no one was hurt, other than a little pride. Thanks for sharing your experience here on the forum. It may help others understand the perils of driving in bad weather/black ice. smile.gif

[carco]

What know citation??? OHSP will cite all who lose control and leave the roadway in Ohio, even single vehicle accidents w/ no damage. A moving violation, 2 points + $$$$. Called "failure to control".

[crew84]

The Nevada State trooper told me to tell my insurance that there would not be a citation. I was told that we were waiting so long for a tow truck because two tow trucks slid off the road. Also maybe because studded tires were illegal. Are they illegal in Ohio?

[WillowCreekStable]

Wow, sorry for your luck with the new truck. I'm ammazed at the repair bill though, hard to believe you could drive it away $10K in damage! Did you take any pics of it after it was back on its wheels? This I'd like to see.

Good to see their were no injuries or citation.