OT - Wife, daughter of Badgers MBB Asst. Coach killed in wrong-way driver crash on M-14
Very sad and tragic news affecting Wisconsin MBB program, thoughts and prayers to the family and for those still in the hospital. Accident was early this morning on M-14 just outside of Ann Arbor.
Wrong way driver??? What the fuck.
Such an avoidable tragedy. RIP
Wrong way driver at 2am sounds like a DUI. I guess we'll see what the toxicology says.
That said, what a tragic tragic loss. Clicking on the article, seeing the happy family photo, it's really sad.
Either DUI or suicide attempt most likely. In either case its disgusting.
Neither. Good job.
Tragic. Horrible. Avoidable.
:(
prayers to them
Damn.
I remember another fatal wrong way M14 crash just a few years ago.
You may discount that observation except that I moved from SE Lower Michigan 25 years ago, and recall only one wrong way traffic incident in my adopted metro area since then. That metro area is much larger than SE Lower Michigan.
MDOT: wtf makes M14 so ripe for wrongways?!
I can't think of a single place on M14 where you could easily go the wrong way. Drinking somehow gives drivers some superpower to find those hidden entrances. Autonomous driving can't come soon enough.
Tragic event.
Autonomous driving would help. So would a society (not ours, as alcohol has made the world go around for most of U.S. history) that takes drunk driving seriously.
That's some interesting anecdotal evidence, but I don't think there is anything particular about M-14 on this matter. I live near M-14 myself and have never encountered a wrong-way driver - though I try not to drive too late at night either.
In the end some drunk idiots are going to do idiotic drunk things.
When they reported this tragedy on Channel 7 yesterday morning, admittedly part of me was trying to mentally map M-14 and all its interchanges figuring how the hell someone could be going the wrong way. In the end, idiocy is idiocy and someone's idiocy led to a tragic and avoidable accident.
An MDOT contractor was killed at I-75 and Warren about this time last year by someone going south in the northbound lanes of I-75 near downtown Detroit. Again, how you get onto the freeway going the wrong way despite Michigan's usually helpful guide signs (as there are so many of them at some interchanges) is unfathomable in a lot of cases, but some drivers behave in ways that defy all reason and cause things that are beyond sad as a result.
I'm going to guess that it has to do with the divided Ford Road at its intersection with Plymouth Road. I vaguely recall that there were many accidents out there, perhaps some wrong-way drivers, long ago before M-14 existed. It was and perhaps still is an infamous intersection. The freeway obviously now relieves the other roads of a lot of traffic.
However, looking at google maps and seeing a picture of this accident on WXYZ's website, it appears that the accident occurred on eastbound 14 at or before the exit to Ford Road. Someone travelling on Plymouth and turning west onto Ford Road to get on 14 could get confused between the eastbound and westbound sides of Ford, especially at night (and, of course, especially if impaired). I think this is particularly true if you are heading east on Plymouth and don't realize that Ford is divided and that the first road you encounter is one-way east.
I'm not making excuses. This is all marked. But wide divided but not limited-access roads can cause confusion more often than other roads. Oddly for southeast Michigan, I notice looking at google maps that that intersection doesn't incorporate a "Michigan Left." I would suggest that they prohibit left turns from Plymouth (heading northeast) to Ford Road (northwest) and require a right turn and then a u-turn in the median. If there is a design flaw related to this accident, it may lie off the freeway where the accident happened.
I drive this all the time. Daytime or nighttime, poor weather or not, no human who has earned a driver's license should make a mistake there that leads them onto the highway. Even if you made the turn inappropriately, you have plenty of time to realize you are going the wrong way.
Only someone so impaired that they should not be driving, or someone intentionally going the wrong way, could do this. A "Michigan left" would not prevent someone from turning inappropriately there.
I suspect that is true. I am not excusing anybody. Just wondering whether a different design may avoid accidents.
Perhaps, but it will be best to obtain all the facts first. Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent drivers from driving the wrong way on the road. It's a very tragic situation.
Doesn't matter how she got on the going the wrong way. The driver of the vehicle that dodged her said she had a quarter mile to realize it, and did nothing.
I am not attempting to excuse the wrong-way driver. Once you accept that, of course it matters how or why she got there.
Didn't mean to imply that you were, my bad for poor communication...
All good. No worries.
I looked at the intersection on Google Maps --- if someone did turn from Plymouth Road onto the wrong lanes of Ford Road, they would ALSO see a big sign on the right hand side of the road (meant for the correct side of Ford Road, of course) that says "Ann Arbor - left 2 lanes."
Now, of course, they would have also missed the "wrong way" signs.
But the "wrong way" signs are smaller, and that big "Ann Arbor - left 2 lanes" sign certainly seems like a sign that's "in the right place." E.g., that sign provides "confirmation bias" to the driver that they're in the right spot. And when that driver goes left, they're then on eastbound M-14.
As with you, I'm not making excuses. But I think there is a bit of a design flaw with the placement of that one sign. What would probably be better is to put that "Ann Arbor - left 2 lanes" sign on an overhead gantry on Westbound Ford Road.
That is interesting. I had not looked at the street view to see the signage. Looking at it now, I see your point. Coming off that intersection, there should be massive wrong way signs.
While I know the occurrences are rare, I feel that that intersection has been haunted for a long time.
Awful. God rest their souls. Prayers also for the survivors.
So very sad for the family. I wish the survivors peace.
6 years ago as I was driving home from my sister's senior Homecoming game (she was a cheerleader) a drunk driver hit me head on going the wrong way against traffic with no lights on down Fort Street going around 40-50 mph I was going 40ish too. They Blew a .32 and although I didn't stay for sentencing I believe they got jail time.
somehow by the grace of God or whatever you want to call it, I walked away with a minor concussion and a bruised vertebrae from twisting as I tried to throw the wheel last second. The other driver had the firewall of her car push back into her leg and shatter it so bad she was still on crutches in the courtroom 4+ months later.
Still not sure how both of us didn't die. but every time I see something like that I remember how lucky I was to literally walk away.
That is terrifying. I am glad that you survived.
My girlfriend was involved in a head on collision in college. Someone crossed the line and hit the car in front of her head on. Both of those drivers died and my girlfriend ran in to their collision from behind. Fortunately she had minor injuries, a few broken bones...however she suffers from memory loss and PTSD while driving to this day.
Once I was on I-75 going South through Kentucky and a white Ford sedan came right at me going the wrong way, luckily I was able to get out of the way and then stopped to call the police.
It was definitely by his grace! I had a similar occurrence heading from Western Michigan back to Grand Rapids one Christmas Eve! The person was heading W bound as my wife and I headed E. We called the cops and they said that they had received several phone calls about that particular driver. The scary thing is, is that if I would’ve been too sleepy to drive and not been aware of my surroundings we would’ve been obliterated. The truck was going at least 90 mph headed straight for us and I never knew whether to swerve or stay straight on one side of the other. It was a nightmare! I was so shook I pulled over for about 15 minutes just being thankful for being alive. Drunk driving is NO JOKE!
Horrible story. Prayers for the family. Every few months it seems there's a wrong way drunk driving accident. My worrywart dad always told me only drunks are on the road after midnight, and I'd be lying if I said that thought doesn't cross my mind every time I have to be out late.
Take me. I've lived my life. Had a great life.
I feel that way every time I see a child dying of cancer, stories like this, etc. I'm not afraid. I'm ready to meet my maker.
Prayers
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for another.
Could not have said this better myself. +1 to you.
These stories rip my heart apart. Much more now that I have kids of my own. I don’t even know where I would begin if my wife and child were both gone in a flash like that. For sure I would be wishing I was also dead.
Stupid and senseless. You can do everything right and it doesn't matter. Feel horrible for the families involved. With kids of my own, can't even begin to fathom the depth of losing my wife and a child. Prayers with the families.
Just horrible in every sense of the word.
According to what I just heard, Coach Moore is in critical condition. His son suffered minor injuries, but much MUCH more sadly, he suffered the loss of his mother and sister.
I pray the survivors and their entire family will someday find peace, will someday heal from their losses.
Just heartbreaking.
In my previous life I was a bartender. I used to make my way home around 2-3 am 5 nights a week. In that time I learned that almost every car that is on the road at that time is driven by someone that is hammered. That is no joke and I am not exaggerating. To this day I never get on the road after midnight unless I absolutely have to.
I went to a concert at DTE (Slayer / Lamb of God) last weekend. By the end of the concert, prob 80+ % of the people walking back to their car were staggering and unable to walk straight.
I certainly imagine most bars are the same later at night. You start thinking, geez, literally everyone should be arrested for drunk driving. Scary world out there at night. People don’t know their limits and folks won’t turn down a sale.
There are also quite a few drunk drivers on the roads after Tiger games. I saw an article about this though I can't find the link. Cutting off beer sales in the 7th inning doesn't accomplish a whole lot. People just finish their beer in the last two innings. I'm sure this is true for the other pro teams as well (and makes me relieved that Michigan Stadium is dry).
That Mother’s Day tweet from Moore from the article is rough to see - hammers home how we never know how much time we have left together.
Awful. What a heartbreaking tragedy. I can't imagine what it must be like for that boy, being in the car with his family destroyed, recovering in a hospital knowing that his dad might not make it and everyone else is gone. Unimaginable.
I have some strong feelings about the likely factor in the actions of the wrong-way driver.
Holy fuck. That is beyond awful.
How just utterly horrible...
Do we know what he was doing in Ann Arbor? Was he interviewing? Coach Howard might know him from Chicago and he is a former head coach.
Could be. Perhaps his wife has family in Michigan, though? They were headed east on 14, which is not toward any airport. Friday afternoon, you get off work, family trip for Memorial Day weekend...
Makes me sick to think about.
I had heard this story but it didn't fully register with me until I clicked on the link and saw their photos, and his Mother's Day message to his wife . . . absolutely gut-wrenching. So senseless.
It happened to me in San Antonio. I found out later that night two drivers were racing, each taking a side of the freeway. The car in front of me swerved to the right, I saw a car's headlights coming straight at me, both of us traveling at 75mph. We played chicken for who would change lanes, and I thankfully chose to go to the right (middle) lane. He stayed in the left lane, and the guy behind me wasn't so lucky. He veered his SUV to the left median and ended up rolling it over into the ditch, launching out the window and into the hospital. I just fish tailed and ended up in the opposite shoulder
Now also the auburn football play by play guy and his wife. Sad night.
Geeze...just read about that one. Teen driver ran in to them from behind. Teen survived.
Yes, of the famous Kick Six call, very sad.
Awful. Gut wrenching. This is why I pay almost as much attention to the cars coming towards me as I do to the road in front of me, if that makes any sense. It’s saved my life twice.
Excellent advice. Always be cognizant of cars in all directions. Idiots are everywhere.
This is horrible. Hit me right in the feels when I saw the family picture - should not have looked or read the linked article...
I don't feel bad for the driver at fault - she got what she probably deserved for being so friggen stupid. The problem with that sentiment, though, is that her family and friends have to deal with her idiocy. Sadly, they are as much victims of her as is coach Howard's family. Everyone involved in this tragedy is an innocent victim - except for the one person that caused it. She gets off free of worry and guilt.
I don't doubt that she was drunk off her ass, as was her passenger. I'll be quite surprised, actually, if she wasn't. Personally, I'd like to see the consequences of drunk driving severely worsened for first time offenders. People usually get off with a hand slap the first time. It takes a horrible tragedy like this, or several offenses, to get some meaningful consequences.
A friend of ours was married for barely one year before her husband was killed by a drunk driver. That guy had just got his license back after a suspension from his 3rd DUI conviction. Why was that asshole ever allowed to drive again?
The article says that there is still someone in critical condition, and two with minor injuries. Is it wrong to hope the first is from the other car?
Such a beautiful family. Heartbreaking.
There were some rumors that Coach Moore was in ciritical condition, according to the AP he suffered third-degree burns but his injuries were not considered life-threatening, and his son had minor injuries.
At least they will have each other to face this unimaginable situation; hope they both find peace soon. God Bless.