Trucker deliberately hit me

Jim Black · 09-16-2018, 04:33 PM

It sounds crazy, but we were pulling our RPod on I90 in Washington State. The DOT had closed the right lane and posted that we were to merge to the left lane. Traffic was stop and crawl and people were merging well. The guy next to me left a large gap in front of him, so I started to pull into it. Just then the traffic ahead began to move. The guy who had left the space decided to go around me so went over toward the shoulder and out ahead. Then the truck behind him drove up and smashed the trailer fender. I assumed he wasn’t paying attention. I started out again, and he moved forward again and turned his tires to hit my pickup! Ok, I got the message and pulled back into the right lane. I took his number, called 911, and fumed. When I told a friend, he said the same thing happened to his brother in law in the same area. Anyone else experience an ass like that in Washington?

**wmtire** · 09-16-2018, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Black

It sounds crazy, but we were pulling our RPod on I90 in Washington State. The DOT had closed the right lane and posted that we were to merge to the left lane. Traffic was stop and crawl and people were merging well. The guy next to me left a large gap in front of him, so I started to pull into it. Just then the traffic ahead began to move. The guy who had left the space decided to go around me so went over toward the shoulder and out ahead. Then the truck behind him drove up and smashed the trailer fender. I assumed he wasn’t paying attention. I started out again, and he moved forward again and turned his tires to hit my pickup! Ok, I got the message and pulled back into the right lane. I took his number, called 911, and fumed. When I told a friend, he said the same thing happened to his brother in law in the same area. Anyone else experience an ass like that in Washington?

I can't say I have heard one like this before and am trying to envision the part in red. Are you saying he was about even with your pickup and was able to turn his steering tire into the side of your pickup without anything else making contact?

What did the cops say about this?

Jim Black · 09-16-2018, 05:35 PM

He hit the fender. We both stopped. I could see the fender and that it was clear to move ahead, so did. He moved up and rammed the back of my pickup. We were going so slow that it didn’t dent it, just removed paint. I keep running it through my head to see it from his perspective, but can’t see how it was not deliberate. He stopped down the road by me and yelled at me. I said that he hit me deliberately. He didn’t deny it, just said he had the right of way and I was at fault. In our state at least, that is the law.

**wmtire** · 09-16-2018, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Black

He hit the fender. We both stopped. I could see the fender and that it was clear to move ahead, so did. He moved up and rammed the back of my pickup. We were going so slow that it didn’t dent it, just removed paint. I keep running it through my head to see it from his perspective, but can’t see how it was not deliberate. He stopped down the road by me and yelled at me. I said that he hit me deliberately. He didn’t deny it, just said he had the right of way and I was at fault. In our state at least, that is the law.

OK, I'm going to bow out as I still can't envision this, especially how he could hit the back of your pickup with the trailer attached and he not have some liability somehow.

It sounds maybe like the police never wrote this one up.

Jim Black · 09-16-2018, 06:08 PM

Even I have trouble and I was there. I may be all wrong about what happened, but that’s what I think happened. Really, the only one who can know for sure is the truck driver.

JohnD10 · 09-16-2018, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Black

Even I have trouble and I was there. I may be all wrong about what happened, but that’s what I think happened. Really, the only one who can know for sure is the truck driver.

So...what did the coppers say and/or do about this?

Jim Black · 09-16-2018, 06:36 PM

Very friendly state trooper said that the law on merging is black and white, and the person merging is responsible. I told him that I believed the trucker hit me deliberately, but didn’t explain and he didn’t ask me to. I think he, like me, couldn’t imagine a professional trucker would jeapordize his license. I don’t intend to make an issue of it, but wanted to see if anyone else had experienced something like this.

Johnfort · 09-16-2018, 06:49 PM

Had a pickup pass me with my TT in tow on a mountain road in a no passing zone. He missed causing a head on collision by 2 or 3 car lengths at best.

Traffic was flowing well at the speed limit (45) to + 5 mph over.

Not fast enough for him I guess.

Johnfort · 09-16-2018, 06:51 PM

Life's short, and he's in a big hurry to get it over with.

Jim Black · 09-16-2018, 07:05 PM

Yes. Bad enough when you’re driving a car. Avoiding an accident is much more difficult with a trailer. I had wanted to do some long trips, but am thinking no after this. I think Americans are just getting nastier by the year.

CedarCreekWoody · 09-16-2018, 07:08 PM

The trucker must have felt you were trying to bully you way in rather than waiting until you were granted right of way.

Jim Black · 09-16-2018, 07:12 PM

Yes, I think so. But a bully or aggressive driver I’m not. I’m the guy who pulls over at every pull out if any cars are behind me.

dbledan · 09-16-2018, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Black

He hit the fender. We both stopped. I could see the fender and that it was clear to move ahead, so did. He moved up and rammed the back of my pickup. We were going so slow that it didn’t dent it, just removed paint. I keep running it through my head to see it from his perspective, but can’t see how it was not deliberate. He stopped down the road by me and yelled at me. I said that he hit me deliberately. He didn’t deny it, just said he had the right of way and I was at fault. In our state at least, that is the law.

This is why I use a DVR for the truck all the time. $30 on Amazon and I have camera views front and back with 30min to install. Sorry for your issue. Better luck in the future I hope. It may not help in your case but at least I would know if my memory of the incident was correct or not. I only needed it once when I did not have it yet.

Johnfort · 09-16-2018, 07:12 PM

In England they call it "zipper". Everybody allows every other car in willingly.

ColoradoRick · 09-16-2018, 07:30 PM

No, never had anything like that happen while towing the trailer. My experience with truckers is that they are usually excellent drivers and look our for others (even dumb trailer haulers like me.)

My biggest pet peeve are the knuckleheads who see the safe following distance I keep in front of me and zip in there, thinking they're getting ahead or something.

CedarCreekWoody · 09-16-2018, 07:31 PM

A few states are now urging a zipper merge.

emoney · 09-16-2018, 07:39 PM

The days of allowing someone to merge in front of you have passed I’m afraid. Now it’s all about not being last.

A2pfunk · 09-16-2018, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Black

Yes. Bad enough when you’re driving a car. Avoiding an accident is much more difficult with a trailer. I had wanted to do some long trips, but am thinking no after this. I think Americans are just getting nastier by the year.

I wouldn't call off long trips over one (REALLY) bad experience. I wasn't there, and I don't know what happened. Even if I look at it in the light most favorable to the trucker... maybe two different drivers thought you were being rude and cutting off traffic. Perhaps the first guy thought you and your trailer were trying to cut in when it wasn't your turn or there wasn't room. So then the the trucker was also going to have none of it. But even if you were being a jerk, that doesn't make it right or okay to intentionally ram somebody. Sounds like you ran into an idiot.

But I wouldn't let that deter you. Last year we took our camper from Michigan to Florida (and we took the long way there) and back. This year we did a 1700+ mile tour of all five Great Lakes. Don't be discouraged. I WILL say that you really do have to adjust the way you drive. Trust me. I like to drive fast. I spent the first 15 years of my career driving. And much of that I drove fast and aggressively. But when you hook that camper up, you gotta put yourself in a whole different mindset. You have to be looking AND THINKING way down the road. Watch those signs. Be aware of what's going on. Know what kind of (and how many) vehicles are all around you on the highway. Always be thinking of where you will move to if you need to suddenly make some type of emergency maneuver. But worst of all, you just have to slow it down a bit and leave a lot more room. When there are lane closures, you better get over as soon as you know about it. You just have to count on the fact that you can't be in a hurry.

I hope you don't let this incident discourage you from some fun long trips!

rsdata · 09-16-2018, 09:22 PM

Quote:

I had wanted to do some long trips, but am thinking no after this. I think Americans are just getting nastier by the year.

I have found that I avoid weekend driving, from Friday evening to Sunday, and avoid rush hours in towns...

I also try to find non-interstate routes, and at least east of the Mississippi and west of the Alleghenies, they are easy to find and use to get to where you want to go. Driving these routes is much less hectic and usually not that much slower then doing interstates all the way.

Don't let a bad episode dictate where and how you go...

47driver · 09-17-2018, 11:08 AM

This last weekend, I was heading home from Helen, GA. There had been a little rain, so typically for the south, everyone was driving 5 under the limit. I had the cruise set for 2 or 3 over and was provided a clear center lane on the south side of Atlanta. Then, the Interstate went to four lanes...two in either direction. A Floridian who apparently loves the Seminoles (stickers, flags, and giant emblems on the side of their car) was cruising along in the left lane just under the speed limit. It was light out, so I gave them the quick flash of the high beams after following them for about 5 minutes. The traffic wasn't heavy, but didn't give me enough time safely to pass on the right while towing the camper. After about ten minutes of following in the left lane, and countless cars passing in the right because they could rapidly accelerate in the space available; I attempted to pass in the right lane. The two in the car were totally oblivious. I'll be honest...if the driver is collecting Social Security, I give them a break. But these two were most likely in their 50's and oblivious to anything going on around them. Mirrors on there car were useless, as they most likely are never used. I didn't make it around them, and was forced to slow to ten under to get back behind them. I was confident that the attempt to overtake them would make them recognize their inappropriate (and illegal) setting up camp in the left lane. Once I got behind him, he waved at me. No middle finger, but just a wave. I naturally assumed this was a friendly "my bad, I'll move". No such luck. So I waited another 5-10 miles, as I had an exit to take anyway.

To my disappointment, he took the same exit. Another four lane highway, and he stayed in the left lane. So I went to pass him on the right again. I accelerated to 75, 5 over the limit, and it was apparent that I would easily pass him in time, as the next car was miles ahead of us. To this point, he NEVER got to the posted speed limit. On the 70 MPH highways, he would slow to about 60 and accelerate to just under 70. Now that I was passing him, at 75 MPH, I stopped passing him. He stayed just behind my trailer axles. So, I sped up to 80. There he stayed at my axles. So I went to 85. He then started to overtake me. So, I slowed back down and prepared to move to the left lane behind him as I was closing in on the car in the right lane. I slowed to 70, and he never passed me. So I slowed to 65, and now he was right next to my TV, but not passing. His wife was giving me a real dirty look, and he was leaning over to look at me. I figured there may be an issue on my trailer, so I looked at the TPMS and the cameras, but nothing was wrong. They finally passed me, then paralleled the car in the right lane for about 5 miles; driving about 62 MPH. Once he passed the car, I moved back over and wanted pass this person. I floored it. I saw 85 MPH go by, and heard my wife suggesting I slow down. So, I looked in my side mirror, and there they were. Still right next to my trailer.

I turned on my signal to move left and began hugging the lane markings. He did slow a bit, and I moved over. Unbelievable. I honestly haven't been that mad while driving in years. Now I was in REAL trouble. I looked to my right, and my wife was aware of the entire move! I won the battle, but I lost the war!

The strange part of the whole thing is the absolute purposeful blocking of a highway. For the next 20 miles, I slowly continued to pull away from them, as they went back to 68 MPH and I stayed at 72. I never once saw them move out of the left lane. Do I feel bad about nearly running them off the road? Maybe, kind of. I guess so, because my wife says so. I'll admit it, when I was a police officer, I would have given me a ticket. I also would have absolutely given the Florida fan a pocket full of tickets as well.

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