Kid I know is only survivor of car crash which kills his immediate family. - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Police have named the three members of an American family who died in a collision with a logging truck near Tokoroa on Tuesday. They were Warren Lee, 53, Aesoon Lee, 52 and Julie Lee, 20. Mr and Mrs Lee were American citizens living in Hong Kong, police said. Their daughter Julia had been living in Massachusetts, but was due to start university in Auckland. She was driving at the time of the crash. Her 18-year-old brother was critically injured in the crash and remains in Waikato Hospital. The family had come to New Zealand to help Julia settle into her new home before they returned to Hong Kong. Police said investigations continued in to the cause of the crash. The release of the victims' names comes as an advocate for truck drivers says the spate of fatal crashes involving trucks has caused deep concern. Road Transport Forum chief executive Ken Shirley said the frequency of collisions involving trucks and other vehicles had caused concern within the road freight industry. Four people died when they attempted a U-turn and pulled into the path of a logging truck on State Highway 1 at Uretiti, Northland in December. "Now the last few weeks have been a real horror period," Mr Shirley said. "On January 29 a Northland driver pulled out in front of a truck and trailer, apparently intending to go to a roadside market on the other side of the road with fatal consequences. "Three people died when their car apparently spun out of control in front of a logging truck in Waikato [on Tuesday] and yesterday a Canterbury rental car driver crossed the centre line and hit a stock truck." Mr Shirley said the roads were a truck driver's workplace. "How many people have to go to work every day knowing that they could be the innocent participant in someone else's fatal mistake? The effect on the driver can be traumatic and long lasting." He said being involved in a fatal crash could ruin a truck driver's life. "They find themselves unable to drive a truck again. It's that shattering." He said reports of fatal crashes that attributed blame to the truck driver were upsetting. "It's a sad reality that in most fatal accidents involving a truck and another vehicle, the other vehicle is the primary cause of the crash." - NZME.[/QUOTE] [thumb]http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/20158/8140ceba49704d7cf77b480ab9e5b3c469832eb2_620x311.jpg[/thumb] [url]http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11404615[/url] So the survivor is my classmate who I've known since I was in kindergarden level schooling, and while I didn't like him when I was little and we never were friends, which I blame my own callousness in early high school for, I've always felt he was a good person, and this happening to him is too cruel.

Befriend him.

God that car is totally crushed, cargo trucks are fucking terrifying. You go head on with one and even if your car was the safest in the universe, your chances of survival are minimal.

An article said the car spun out, crossed the line, then got nailed by the logging truck. Also it said the only survivor was the one wearing a seat belt. The road conditions in the picture don't look bad, so I can't help but wonder how this car winds up going head on into a big truck like that.

I'm amazed he got out at all, look at that car.

Don't think I'd want to survive something like that.

what the fuck. look at that fucking car. how did ANYONE survive that.

Rear driver side

[QUOTE=Tmaxx;47172980]what the fuck. look at that fucking car. how did ANYONE survive that.[/QUOTE] The only part that looks intact looks like the back corner seat, which is where I suspect he was sitting. The worst fate for anyone in the car tbh. I'd much rather be the dead one in this case.

Daily Mail has more pictures. [thumb]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/02/19/25D0D80100000578-2959373-image-m-46_1424312216853.jpg[/thumb] [thumb]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/02/19/25D0D74500000578-2959373-image-m-48_1424312244851.jpg[/thumb] [thumb]http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/3/h/d/x/r/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.13ixij.png/1424305392021.jpg[/thumb] [editline]20th February 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=ForgottenKane;47173013]The only part that looks intact looks like the back corner seat, which is where I suspect he was sitting. The worst fate for anyone in the car tbh. I'd much rather be the dead one in this case.[/QUOTE] apparently he was in the passenger seat, and is currently in the intensive care unit. the severity of his injuries haven't been disclosed yet.

[QUOTE=Solomon;47172888]Befriend him.[/QUOTE] out of sympathy? i don't think these are the best circumstances to make good friends with him.

[QUOTE]Their son, 18, was injured and remains in hospital, said police spokeswoman Kim Perks. Perks said the son was in the passenger seat and the couple was in the rear of the car.[/QUOTE] from south china morning post [url]http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1718717/hong-kong-couple-daughter-killed-car-crash-while-holiday-new-zealand[/url]

Is the pictured orientation of the cars the position the crash impacted upon? If so i'd call it absolutely astonishing that he survived in the passenger seat, which seems like it was the place majority of impact was centered into.

[QUOTE=Punchy;47173097]Is the pictured orientation of the cars the position the crash impacted upon? If so i'd call it absolutely astonishing that he survived in the passenger seat, which seems like it was the place majority of impact was centered into.[/QUOTE] I'm not sure but it looks that way also apparently either because nobody's told him or because he's been unconscious since the collision he isn't yet aware that he's the only survivor of the crash.

[QUOTE]Four people died when they attempted a U-turn and pulled into the path of a logging truck on State Highway 1 at Uretiti, Northland in December. [/QUOTE] Why? Why would the driver do this? Gosh. This is so sad and infuriating at the same time. The deaths were 120% avoidable.

[QUOTE=Lovely Leslie;47173023]apparently he was in the passenger seat, and is currently in the intensive care unit. the severity of his injuries haven't been disclosed yet.[/QUOTE] after mention that he survived and was the only one wearing a seatbelt, I was going to comment that I didn't think a seatbelt would matter in any case given what happened to [I]the entire vehicle[/I], but color me astonished [edit] that he was in that of all seats, considering his portion of the vehicle is all but a few inches tall now

[QUOTE=dai;47173217]after mention that he survived and was the only one wearing a seatbelt, I was going to comment that I didn't think a seatbelt would matter in any case given what happened to [I]the entire vehicle[/I], but color me astonished[/QUOTE] don't be too sure, the seatbelt, when activated creates a force-field around the user during a crash, disappearing as soon as the impact is over.

[QUOTE=Solomon;47172888]Befriend him.[/QUOTE] "hi ur parents jsut died so uh wanna be freinds????"

[QUOTE=Solomon;47172888]Befriend him.[/QUOTE] Despite the intentions that's a pretty shallow basis for a friendship. You should just offer your assistance if he wants it, when he gets back home op.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;47172903]God that car is totally crushed, cargo trucks are fucking terrifying. You go head on with one and even if your car was the safest in the universe, your chances of survival are minimal.[/QUOTE] Besides the low survival rate, there are certainly going to be lasting health effects for such a crash.

[QUOTE=nuttyboffin;47173234]don't be too sure, the seatbelt, when activated creates a force-field around the user during a crash, disappearing as soon as the impact is over.[/QUOTE] my point being that I didn't really expect it to be noteworthy at all due to the nature of the accident being a [i]crushing[/i]. It's still odd to say 'the only person who survived was wearing a seatbelt' like it was [i]the[/i] saving grace, but being firmly planted to his seat instead of getting shoved forward in the cab before it was compacted could very well be a major factor. The fact two people in the less damaged back of the vehicle perished shows there was a lot of force at play without the crush happening

[QUOTE=Mingebox;47172968]Don't think I'd want to survive something like that.[/QUOTE] He's not out of the woods yet, according to the article he's still in the ICU.

The article mentions some other accidents, but how exactly did this happen?

Is it possible that the car looks more crushed than it actually was during the accident due to hydraulic rescue tools sheering off the right side to get to the riders? That would explain the hollowed out appearance in the image viewing the wreckage from the front-right and the fact that the front passenger was the only survivor.

I saw a video on Liveleak of some guy in Russia going head on with a huge truck. His car was smashed(a Lada I think) like a beer can...and yet he climbs out like nothing happened. A human body doesn't need much space, and can contort to some degree, so a smashed car isn't necessarily deadly to passengers.

[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;47172943]An article said the car spun out, crossed the line, then got nailed by the logging truck. Also it said the only survivor was the one wearing a seat belt. The road conditions in the picture don't look bad, so I can't help but wonder how this car winds up going head on into a big truck like that.[/QUOTE] I don't think a seat belt would have saved the other victims.

From the pictures, this is what I gathered: It looks like when the car hit the semi, the front end of the car went down, and the rear end went up, basically doing a reverse wheelie into the front of the truck. Due to this, and the fact that the back seat passengers weren't wearing seatbelts, they probably got forced forward/up into the roof of the car head first when it pivoted and was in full contact with the front of the truck. This would result in broken necks/obliterated skulls. Driver's head probably also met the grille of the semi when the person was flung forward due to not wearing a seatbelt. The passenger seat is laid back completely, meaning it most likely gave. This means that the seatbelt kept the person in their seat (like it should), and when enough pressure was applied to the occupant/seat, the seat hinge gave way (like it should), allowing the occupant to lean back and avoid fatal pressures to the chest. This is just my opinion, although I have worked quite a few accidents when I was a firefighter and you start to notice the little details and signs after a while.

Why would you attempt a u-turn on a highway

[QUOTE=Lovely Leslie;47173104]I'm not sure but it looks that way also apparently either because nobody's told him or because he's been unconscious since the collision he isn't yet aware that he's the only survivor of the crash.[/QUOTE] I can't and wish I never will be able to comprehend the horrors he'll wake up to, poor soul.

[QUOTE=Complifused;47176272]Why would you attempt a u-turn on a highway[/QUOTE] Probably for the same reason you wouldn't wear a seatbelt.