Runaway Vehicles (Land, Sea & Air)

[sunsplash1]

Runaway Heavy Machinery ! Not Fortean but Odd all the same

Railway runaway leaves track managers scratching heads
The Australian Rail Track Corporation is investigating how a piece of heavy machinery managed to roll unmanned for seven kilometres along an Adelaide Hills railway track.

The 15-metre long ballast regulator machine was being used by contractors to settle ballast along the railway line.

At around 10:50am the machine got away from its crew.

It rolled for seven kilometres along the track from Mt Lofty, coming to rest 13 minutes later near Bridgewater.

Rail Track Corporation managing director David Marchant has issued a written statement saying the incident is of "obvious concern."

He says it is not clear how the machine got away from its operators.

The incident has been reported to the state rail safety regulator.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1120667.htm

Seeing as how this happened near where I live I though I'd mention it

 

[Anonymous]

Revolt of the Machines Continues: Unmanned 20-ton Steamroller Invades Property of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=816&e=5&u=/ap/20040820/ap_on_fe_st/rumsfeld_s_fence

20-Ton Machine Mows Down Rumsfeld's Fence
Fri Aug 20, 5:18 PM

TAOS, N.M. - A 20-ton piece of road machinery mowed down a fence and a couple of trees on property belonging to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld after the brakes apparently slipped and the machine rolled away.



"It was a freak accident," said Michael Trujillo, director of public works for Taos County.


He said the hydraulic brake system gave way on the smooth drum roller, which was being used Tuesday to pack down the surface on a road project near property owned by Rumsfeld.


The machine took out a 10- to 15-foot section of wooden posts and wire fencing and a couple of trees as it plunged 12 feet down the side of the canyon road before getting hung up in heavy brush.


Trujillo called the damage slight, and said county officials had been in touch with Rumsfeld's caretaker to discuss reimbursement for the damage.


The accident site is a considerable distance from the house on the property.


Rumsfeld has several pieces of land in the area. Two of his properties near El Prado have been the scenes of frequent anti-Bush administration and anti-war protests.


Trujillo — a member of a prominent Democratic family in a county with 13 percent Republican Party registration — said he's heard plenty of jokes about the mishap.


"This was not a political statement," he said with a laugh. "Donald Rumsfeld is an OK guy as far as I'm concerned."

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

Man in satanic Renault terror ordeal

By Lester Haines
Published Thursday 7th October 2004 10:00 GMT

A traumatised Frenchman is shaken but otherwise unharmed after his Renault Vel Satis kidnapped him on the A71 motorway in central France and subjected him to an hour-long 125mph terror ordeal.

Hicham Dequiedt, 29, was overtaking a lorry on said highway when the car's automatic speed regulator stuck, AFP reports. Travelling at break-neck speeds and unable to stop the vehicle, Dequiedt alerted the authorities by phone. They quickly broadcast radio alerts and activated electronic warning signs. The police also raised the barriers at the Riom tollgate in anticipation of the satanic Vel Satis making a break for freedom.
Click Here

Mercifully, Dequiedt managed to disable the vehicle by pulling out the Renault's magnetic card ignition key. He finally ground to a halt 12 miles from Riom. A police officer noted: "The driver was really afraid - especially at one point when he had to overtake at 200 kilometres per hour on the emergency lane."

Renault officials immediately impounded the car and whisked it off to the company's technical centre near Paris. CEO Louis Schweitzer confirmed an investigation had been launched, but expresed scepticism that the car's on-board computer had provoked the kamikaze Cannonball Run: "Every time there is an incident like this, we have to look into it on the principle of basic precaution," he confirmed. "But the way this has been described to me, I find it very surprising and most unlikely."

Schweitzer's unwillingness to face facts will send a chill down the spine of all those who have been monitoring the Rise of the Machines™. It all began innocently enough - with a cyberloo capturing a hapless shopper in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Reports soon began to trickle in that homicidal phoneboxes had turned on the citizens of Madrid, while London commuters ran screaming from incendiary omnibuses.

Then, in February 2004, came the shocking news that a full-scale technological uprising was underway in Sicily's Canneto di Caronia, with killer cyberappliances forcing a full-scale evacuation of the hamlet.

In the circumstances, Renault's state of denial regarding the mephistopholean Vel Statis offers just two explanations: that the company is oblivious to the ongoing war of annihilation between machine and mankind; or that it is itself an emissary of the extra-terrestrial lizard army which - despite the ominous warnings of David Icke - continues to strive for the ultimate subjugation of humanity through technology. ®

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/07/satanic_renault/

DEMON CAR DROVE ITSELF

Oct 7 2004

By Ian Sparks


A POWERFUL motor developed a mind of its own and went speeding for an hour at 120mph - bringing terror to a motorway.

Yesterday the driver of the 2-litre Renault Vel Satis told how he tried in vain to slow the car and had to overtake on the hard shoulder at almost twice the speed limit.

Helpless Hicham Dequiedt, 29, was unable to use the brakes or switch off the engine of the crazed 16-valve vehicle.

Terrified, he phoned police and officers evacuated tolls and flashed warnings on the A71 in central France.

The car slowed then stopped at Clermont Ferrand when Dequiedt, on police instructions, managed to remove the magnetic card which serves as the ignition key. He said later: "It was terrifying. I was doing 70mph when I became stuck behind a lorry. I accelerated to overtake and couldn't slow down. The car went up to 120mph and I couldn't stop it. The brake pedal went slack and the gear stick jammed.

"I put my headlights on full beam and tore down the fast lane praying other cars would move out of the way.

"When they refused to budge, I had to swerve across lanes. On several occasions, in heavy traffic, I tore down the hard shoulder with inches between me, sides of juggernauts and the verge."

The demon car has now been handed to Renault. One expert said: "We have no idea yet what went wrong. What happened is extremely unusual."

A computer fault is suspected.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnew...eadline=demon-car-drove-itself-name_page.html

Renault Takes Legal Steps Against Driver

10.06.2004, 02:18 PM

Renault SA began legal action Wednesday against a French driver who claimed he was unable to stop his Vel Satis sedan after its cruise control became stuck at 190 kph (120 mph).

Hicham Dequiedt, 29, frantically called police on his mobile phone Sunday as he sped through central France, claiming he could do nothing to stop his runaway Renault. Roadside panels and radio stations warned other motorists of the danger.

But Renault said a detailed examination of his car by an independent expert contradicted his story, and filed for a formal investigation into Dequiedt's claims.

Renault spokesman Gerard Lochard said tests found no problems with the car's electronics or brakes - which he said were more than powerful enough to stop the car even with the gas pedal floored.

"We know that can't have happened technically like that," he said. "All you have to do is press on the brake. It's not exactly difficult."

Lochard added: "If he'd really had this problem, the brakes would have suffered the consequences. But the brake discs aren't worn."

Dequiedt said he had applied the brakes but nothing happened for nearly an hour, before they finally kicked in and the vehicle ground to a halt just before a toll booth.

He said he couldn't cut the ignition because that model of car has a magnetic card instead of a key.

The story featured prominently on evening news shows and morning newspaper headlines, and editorials questioned the safety of electronic engine controls in modern cars.

Renault's legal move means Dequiedt is likely to face more questioning about what happened. The automaker said it does not rule out suing him to seek compensation for damage to its brand reputation.

http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2004/10/06/ap1578811.html

This kind of thing has happened before hasn't it? I remember a few years back some guy claimed his car couldn't be stopped on the motorway and it turned out he was making it all up - anyone remember that one?

 

[elffriend]

Yes it was a lorry driver. Story here

Monday, June 7, 1999 Published at 17:51 GMT 18:51 UK


UK

Lorry driver 'faked' M1 drama

Mr Rayner was initially praised by police for averting a major crash

A lorry driver hailed as a hero for averting a major incident when his juggernaut went "out of control" has been accused of faking the entire incident.
Michael Rayner deliberately "thundered" down the M1 for 20 miles after his vehicle developed a fault because he was "enjoying" the unfolding drama, Harrow Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett said Mr Rayner, who denies one charge of dangerous driving, could easily have stopped the 38-ton vehicle as it sped along at up to 75mph.

But he said the 37-year-old, of Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, came to a halt only when officers warned him that he was "running out of road".

Opening the case, Mr Aylett told the six man, six woman jury that the incident began shortly before 1100 BST on 10 May last year.

The driver, who had received his heavy goods vehicle licence less than a year earlier, was returning from delivering a consignment of rubbish to a landfill site in Bedfordshire.

'List of excuses'

As he passed junction 11 heading south towards London he dialled 999 to say he "had a bit of a problem" with his Scania lorry.

"My accelerator peddle has stuck and my brakes won't slow me down," he complained. "I am doing 70...and the traffic is building up in front of me."

Mr Aylett said the operator then suggested a series of steps he could have taken, such as switching the engine off, or putting the gears into neutral.

But each time, he alleged, Rayner maintained that was not possible, saying that his brakes did not work, that his engine could blow up or that he could lose the ability to steer his vehicle properly.

He was joined by several police vehicles and a helicopter as he "thundered" down the centre lane. With his mobile phone cutting out repeatedly, officers shouted instructions at him through open windows.

Finally, he did "what the prosecution say he could have done a lot earlier - turn the engine off and bring the vehicle to a halt on the hard shoulder".

The barrister told the court that in doing so the truck tore up about 16m of crash barrier.

But accident investigators calculated that in normal circumstances a lorry travelling at that speed would have damaged about 100m.

"The prosecution suggests that the defendant used the brakes which were working perfectly to bring the vehicle to a stop," Mr Aylett said.

The trial continues.

He was found guilty of making it all up.

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

Yes it was a lorry driver. Story here

Excellent work - thats the one I was thinking of.

Are we looking at another case of this kind of attention grabbing nuttiness?

 

[JamesWhitehead]

I was wondering what date the movie Speed came out. Seems it was 1994. So maybe the truck-driver caught up with it on telly or video.

 

[rynner2]

Seven killed in Uruguay TV stunt


A runaway train killed seven people and injured at least 11, severing some of their limbs, during the filming of a TV show in Uruguay, police said.
The accident occurred during a "test of strength" challenge to raise money for a hospital in Young, 380km (235 miles) west of the capital, Montevideo.

Contestants were pushing and pulling a train and two carriages when the vehicle gained speed and ran them over.

Local authorities have declared three days of mourning.

'State of shock'

Participants in the programme, called A Challenge to the Heart, raise funds for local charities by completing difficult tasks set by the network - in this case manoeuvring a train a certain distance down railway tracks.

The Associated Press news agency quoted Ana Portela as telling local radio station El Espectador that the train was moving when "somebody slipped and fell under the locomotive, and others were falling alongside it.

"There were shouts and somebody said 'my arm!'" Ms Portela said.

"Everybody was in a state of shock."

Graciela Baccino, a spokeswoman for Channel 10 television, said the tragedy was "deeply saddening".

She said the TV network offered its "solidarity and support" to the families involved.

About 3,000 schoolchildren were at the recording and witnessed the accident.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4819094.stm

 

[OneWingedBird]

I'm sure we should have a thread for this sort of thing somewhere but i can't think where if we have. Seem to recall other instances of this happening with cars and a lorry, which always seem to come down to something weird going on with the human rather than the machine:

Runaway scooter carries off woman

An 87-year-old Cornish woman was rescued by police five miles from home when her mobility scooter sped off out of control.

Eileen Bishop, from Perranporth, and her husband Anthony were on their way to church when, he said, she "disappeared off the radar".

Officers later found her heading along the A3075 towards Newquay.

A police community support officer (PCSO) rode the scooter back and said it appeared to be working correctly.

'Full tilt'

Mr Bishop said the incident began when he and his wife set off for St Michael's church.

He said the scooter, which "hadn't been going that well", was set to three-quarters speed.

"Suddenly she passed me at full tilt," Mr Bishop said.


I was half asleep to tell you the truth
Eileen Bishop

"I shouted after her but she is a bit deaf. I couldn't chase her as I've had a triple heart bypass.

"She just disappeared off the radar."

Mr Bishop said he and a neighbour searched for his wife and then went to the police station to report her missing.

"I was just about in tears," he said.

Officers found Mrs Bishop after a motorist reported a mobility scooter "swerving" across the road near Pendown Cross, five miles away.

Mrs Bishop said she was not sure how she got separated from her husband.

"I just lost him. I was half asleep to tell you the truth," she explained.

It took PCSO Michael Ginnelly an hour to drive the scooter back to Perranporth.

"I think Mrs Bishop just gripped the controls and went too fast and held on for dear life," he told BBC News.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7981904.stm

 

[rynner2]

woo!

Here's a Fortean happening to make you go Woo!

Plane takes off without pilot at vintage airshow
A runaway aircraft took off on its own when the pilot could not get into the cockpit on time after swinging the front propellor.

Last Updated: 7:15PM BST 06 Apr 2009

The classic biplane ran in circles on the ground at speeds of up to 60mph before taking off and flying on its own for 200m. :shock: It then crashed into trees at the edge of Goodwood airfield on Sunday.

Had it cleared the trees it is believed the plane, which was headed towards nearby Chichester, West Sussex, could have flown for around 150 miles on a full tank of fuel.

The small plane had just been refuelled before the incident and its pilots had 'swung' the propellers to restart the engine before getting inside to fly it.

But the aircraftr - a 1940 model built in the style of a Tiger Moth - began moving before the pilot had a chance to board it.

Goodwood staff sprayed the plane with foam to stop it catching fire after the crash.

The Stampe was one of a number of aircraft at the airfield for the Goodwood Breakfast Club - a monthly event which displays vintage cars, motorbikes and aircraft for enthusiasts.

Malcolm Phillips, 67 of Emsworth, Hants, was at the event and took pictures of the plane coming down to the ground behind the trees.

The retired aircraft engineer said: "There were hundreds of people there watching as the plane ran amok, haring round in circles.

"We didn't know which way it was going to go and it was worrying that it could head towards the crowd, other planes or the clubhouse."

Mr Phillips said he thought there were about 400 people watching when the plane took off at 11am on Sunday.

He added: "Normally the idea is that you swing the propellers and have the handbrake on and chocks under the wheels.

"You also need to make sure the throttle is only set at low revs.

"Something clearly went wrong and it jumped over the chocks - I suspect what might have happened is that the throttle became loose."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... rshow.html

 

[rynner2]

More serious stuff now:

Runaway train on London Tube's Northern Line

A runaway train went through six stops on a 13-minute journey on London's Tube with other trains having to be cleared out of its path.

The engineering train became uncoupled as it was towed on the Northern Line near Archway station on Friday morning.

Passenger trains were diverted to another branch of the Northern Line while trains were cleared from the Charing Cross branch.

The train ran for nearly four miles before it stopped at Warren Street.

It came to a rest only because there is a slight incline at the station.

Tom Redfern joined the line in Archway on the train in front of the runaway vehicle.

He said: "As soon as we pulled away the driver came on the tannoy and said, 'There is an emergency, will everyone move towards the front of the train'.
"There was a ripple of panic. I went from half asleep to a big adrenaline rush. I throught, 'Is this it?'"

The train bypassed all stations until Moorgate in an attempt to keep ahead of the other vehicle.

Mr Redfern said: "We went full speed. We knew the situation was dangerous because we were going fast.
"Even by the driver's voice, we could tell it was serious." :shock:

Pat Sikorski, of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: "We are appalled and horrified at this major incident which could have very easily resulted in disaster.
"The runaway train represents a safety failure of the highest order.
"We understand a collision with a passenger service train leaving Archway was only narrowly avoided."

The engineering train, which was undertaking rail maintenance work, had been travelling southbound on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line.

But at 0644 BST the vehicle, which does not carry passengers, became detached from the towing train and began to move southbound.

London Underground (LU) staff diverted passenger trains to the City branch while directing the engineering train to the cleared Charing Cross branch.

The engineering train came to a halt at 0657 BST.

LU's Richard Parry said he "could not speculate" about how fast the train had been travelling.

"Northern line trains will travel even at full propulsion at 35mph," he added.
"I'm confident it would have been at a lower speed than that."

He said no passenger trains were closer than a kilometre (0.6 miles) from the runaway train.

"It was no closer than a kilometre away. That was the closest any train was in the area to where this train was," he said.

The line was suspended between Finchley Central and Archway and between Camden Town and Kennington via Charing Cross, leading to widespread disruption.

Mr Parry added: "Safety is our top priority and we have launched an immediate and thorough investigation into this incident."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-10964766

The Map shows the runaway train went through Mornington Crescent... :?
Could have been worse, on Fiday the 13th....

Oddly enough, on a bus into town this morning - I was standing, at the front, nearest the driver, as the bus was full - I wondered what I could do if the driver suddenly collapsed (he was elderly). The bus was going down a steep hill at the time, and I reckoned the best I could do would be to grab the wheel through the small gap in the driver's glass cabin, and try to steer the bus into glancing collisions with parked cars, hoping it would come to a stop before the crossroads at the bottom of the hill...

The damage would have been expensive, but a high speed crash at the bottom of the hill would have been fatal for dozens at least (me included!).

Happily, this alternative reality remained unrealised... 8)

 

[rynner2]

More serious stuff now:

Runaway train on London Tube's Northern Line

A runaway train went through six stops on a 13-minute journey on London's Tube with other trains having to be cleared out of its path.

Leaked video shows runaway Underground train

A source told BBC London the trains came within 49 seconds of each other.
Video showing how close a runaway London Underground train was to a full passenger train in front of it has been leaked to BBC London.

The footage of a control room monitor appears to show the runaway engineering train close behind the other vehicle as they pass Kentish Town.

A highly-placed source said the two trains were just 49 seconds apart during the incident on Friday morning.

Transport for London has said safety is its top priority.

The engineering train went through six stops on its 13-minute, four mile journey after becoming detached on the Northern Line.

Other trains were cleared out of its path, while passengers travelling in the train ahead were told to go to the front of the vehicle.

An incline in the track finally brought the engineering train to a halt.

Now BBC London has been told the vehicle had no brakes.

And a leaked report reveals the driver of the engineering train jumped clear at Highgate Tube, while a platform at Camden Town station was evacuated. :shock:

A full investigation has already been launched into the incident.

The Rail Accident Investigation Bureau (RAIB) said it could not say how long it expected the investigation to take.

A TfL spokesman said: "Safety is our top priority and the events surrounding the incident last Friday remain under investigation.

"We would not wish to pre-empt the outcome of our investigation but once all of the facts have been verified we will publish the report, making all of its conclusions clear.

"We once again pay tribute to our quick-thinking line control staff who acted swiftly to ensure that any risk to customers and staff was minimised."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11016085

 

[rynner2]

A man who died in a speedboat crash off the north Cornish coast, which also killed his daughter, was a senior executive at BSkyB.
Nick Milligan, 51, and his eight-year-old daughter were among six people thrown from the boat in the Camel Estuary, off Padstow on Sunday.
Four other family members, thought to have been hit by the boat, are in hospital with serious injuries.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-22423877

There was no mention of a kill-cord in the original story, but that was one of the first things I wondered about.

The tide was fairly high at the time, but that can be deceptive - you might think there's water everywhere, but some of the sand banks might only just be covered, so maybe the boat's prop hit the bottom and caused the 'capsize'. But if the family had a holiday home there, they should have been familiar with the waters.

Although dramatic, it seems these deaths were not 'strange' so much as unnecessary:

'Padstow speedboat deaths: 'Driver not using engine kill cord'

The driver of a speedboat which crashed killing a father and daughter was not wearing a safety cord which could have stopped the engine, investigators say.
Nick Milligan, 51, and daughter Emily, eight, were killed after they and the rest of their family were thrown out of their vessel near Padstow in Cornwall.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said the unnamed driver was not using the vessel's kill cord.
The cord clips the driver to the boat and cuts the engine if they fall out.

Investigators still do not know why all six members of the Milligan family were flipped out of their speedboat over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend.
But the engine continued running and "as the boat circled, it ran over the family in the water a number of times," said the initial MAIB report.

Nick Milligan and eight-year-old daughter Emily, left, were killed in the 5 May accident. Mrs Milligan had part of her left leg amputated
Mrs Milligan and their four-year-old son Kit will need further surgery.
They have been transferred from Derriford Hospital in Plymouth to a hospital in London.

The Milligan's two elder daughters, Amber and Olivia, received minor injuries in the accident.
A statement from the family said: "We are grateful for the continued support of our family and friends and the good wishes we have received from the public."

The runaway boat was brought under control by water skiing instructor Charlie Toogood who leapt from his own boat into the craft to turn off its engine.

The Milligan family, from Wandsworth in London, owned a holiday home at Daymer Bay near Padstow.

Boat owners are not obliged by law to use a kill cord, but accident investigators hope the case will encourage more of them to do so.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-22560652

 

[rynner2]

Runaway Falmouth car stopped by quick-thinking bus driver
12:27pm Tuesday 25th June 2013 in News .

A driverless car freewheeling down a Falmouth street was stopped from careering into the town centre yesterday thanks to the quick actions of one bus driver.

Robert Walker, a driver with First Bus, has been praised for his actions by the police after he maneouvred his double decker bus into the middle of Killigrew Street and brought the car to a halt.

The parked car suffered a handbrake failure at around 8.50am just above the junction of Trelawney Road and Killigrew Street and began to roll backwards down the hill towards the town centre.

"Robert was driving his bus towards the junction at the time, saw this happening and not sure whether the vehicle had a driver or not positioned his bus in the middle of the road letting the vehicle collide with his at a slow speed," PC Dave Jephcott said.

If not for Robert's action, "the vehicle would have picked up speed heading towards The Moor, which could have had disastrous consequences," PC Jephcott added.

A spokesperson for First in Devon and Cornwall said the company was "pleased that our driver was able to assist in preventing a more serious collision."

Slight damage was caused to the front of the bus, however, and passengers on board the number 88 had to be transferred to other services while the bus was taken back to the depot for repairs.
"By the end of Monday the bus had been repaired and it has been back on the road as normal since then," the spokesperson added.

No one was seriously injured as a result of the collision.

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/10 ... er/?ref=mr

The car had a good chance of meeting a bus - every bus that leaves Falmouth goes up that bit of one-way road! (At the junction with Trelawney, some go left, some go right, and others carry straight on.) A bit lower down, the driver wouldn't have been able to avoid the car, as parked cars restrict the width of the road.

 

[Cochise]

Don't think we have a previous topic for this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... -rise.html

It's actually a rather strange (not to mention tragic) thing from what has been reported so far. Normally any train that becomes uncoupled has the brakes apply automatically so a runaway is impossible.

 

[rynner2]

The train, carrying 72 cars of crude oil, was parked shortly before midnight on Friday in the town of Nantes about seven miles (11km) away.

Local firefighters were later called to put out a fire on the train.
While tackling that blaze, they shut down a locomotive that had apparently been left running to keep the brakes engaged. :shock:
Shortly afterwards the train began moving downhill in an 18-minute journey, gathering speed until it derailed in Lac-Megantic and exploded.

The fire department and the train's owners have appeared in recent days to point the finger at one another over the disaster.
Mr Burkhardt suggested on Tuesday evening that firefighters shared some blame.
"We don't have total responsibility, but we have partial responsibility," he told reporters in Montreal.
...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23264397

 

[rynner2]

The British Government: Legislate that the use of kill cords in powerboats be obligatory.

Petition by
Heddon Johnson
United Kingdom

On May Bank Holiday weekend a father and daughter tragically died in a speedboat accident in Cornwall. Investigators say that the driver of the speedboat was not wearing a safety cord, often called a kill cord, which could have stopped the engine and may have prevented the accident.

My son Tristan was killed at Southampton international boat show in 2000. I subsequently campaigned for greater awareness of the importance of the kill cord. There have been other fatal accidents where powerboats have been left out of control with no one at the helm.

A kill cord is a simple device which when used will stop a vessel in its tracks when a helmsman, either falls overboard or is accidentally thrown away from the controls. The word kill, in the term kill cord, refers to the killing of the engine, however the result of either not wearing it, or its malfunction can be fatal.

My son would almost certainly be alive today had a kill cord been attached to the person in control. In his case, very brave people put their own lives at risk in order to stop the runaway boat. Depressingly I see history repeating itself and it is clear that recommendations that the kill cord be attached are not enough and legislation is required to make their use mandatory.

BBC radio and TV
by Heddon Johnson Petition organiser

Tomorrow (Monday 30th September) I will be giving interviews for BBC local radio and BBC Southampton for their breakfast shows, and in the evening there will be a ten minute slot in the BBC one inside out program at 7.30 in both the south and south west regions, the south west probably being fuller than the south. It should also be available to watch on the iplayer for the following 7 days.

Please sign my petition to make wearing kill cords mandatory.

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/ ... obligatory

Petition on page. I caught a bit of the BBC output at lunchtime. (Surprisingly, a power-boat instructor seems to be against the scheme for some reason.)

But kill-cords are so cheap that it would be foolish not to use one, and carry some spares. The only technical bit is a plastic clip which connects to the engine stop button. The rest could just be a length of cord, attached to the driver!

 

[rynner2]

Video:

Call for compulsory speedboat safety cords
30 September 2013 Last updated at 15:56 BST

A campaign has begun to make kill cords compulsory on speedboats.
It follows an accident in Padstow, Cornwall in which two members of a family were killed when they were hit by their own vessel.
Other members of the family were seriously injured in the accident in May.

The crusade is being led by Dorset man Heddon Johnson, whose son Tristan was killed by a runaway speedboat 13 years ago

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24338215

 

[ramonmercado]

I guess it counts as ridiculous because a dog was in the cab. But the bloody farmer was responsible!

Devon runaway tractor ends up in garden
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-25792684

Tractor overturned

The tractor ended upside down in the garden of a house at Colyton

A runaway tractor narrowly missed a Devon house when the brakes failed with only the farmer's collie dog in the cab.

Henry Selway, 77, had parked his tractor at the top of a hill in Colyton, east Devon, while he joined his daughter for lunch in the town.

But the tractor's handbrake failed and the vehicle hurtled down a steep road.

Molly the collie was uninjured when the tractor crashed through a garden fence, and came to rest in a garden.

Henry Selway said he was thankful no-one was hurt
Henry Selway said leaving a parked tractor in gear was no longer the "ultimate failsafe"
Mr Selway said: "I've been driving tractors since I was 14, and that day I parked my tractor as I always do - with the handbrake on and the wheels turned inwards.

"I only became aware of the incident when a scaffolder shouted over to me that the tractor was rolling off with my dog inside. I couldn't believe it."

The tractor was found with its handbrake still on and Molly still inside.

Insurers Cornish Mutual said cold weather could have been partly to blame for the brakes failing.

Mr Selway added: "The tractor caused quite a bit of damage, but thankfully no-one was injured and the damage to the property was limited to the owner's fence and a number of trees, which were replaced.

"I grew up leaving my tractor in gear as the ultimate failsafe, but with these new tractors you can't do that."

 

[rynner2]

PCSO hailed a hero after stopping St Agnes runaway car with baby inside
Updated 3:05pm Thursday 3rd July 2014

A police community support officer has been praised by a father after he dramatically stopped a car, with a baby girl inside, from rolling down a hill in St Agnes.

PCSO Richard Hill (pictured) was parked nearby when he saw what he thought was an empty convertible rolling backwards down the slipway towards the beach at Trevaunance Cove.
He saw a man frantically trying to stop the Audi A3 from rolling but the car was gathering pace, heading towards a number of pedestrians who would not have had chance to avoid the car.

He quickly drove his marked police car into the path of the oncoming car causing the Audi to collide with it, shortly before 10.40am on Saturday, June 14.
PCSO Richard Hill, based in Perranporth, said: “Luckily I managed to prevent the car from going down the slipway, into the pedestrians and over the top onto the beach.
“Once the car stopped, I noticed the man reach into the back of the convertible and pick up a baby from the rear seat.
“It was very much a case of right time, right place. Thankfully nobody was injured and the only damage was to the cars.” 8)

Simon Cohen, the car owner and father of 14-month-old Seren, said: “PCSO Hill is a complete hero in my eyes. He is a testament to the force.
“He saw the look in my eyes as the car rolled backwards and made a quick decision to put himself in harm’s way. He is an absolute legend.
“I am eternally grateful and would like to say a huge thank you for what he did. If he hadn’t taken that action my daughter could have been harmed as well as other pedestrians, and property could have been severely damaged.

“What he did and how he responded afterwards was professional, calm and kind. The officers that arrived at the scene afterwards were nothing but kind, calm and warm as well.
“He made what could have been a traumatic experience into something we can all learn from.
“If all of the other officers in the force are like PCSO Hill, we’re in safe hands.
“Although Seren was oblivious to the situation, if she could speak, I’m sure she would say thank you to the officer as well.”

There was slight body work damage to the door of the police car and minor scratches to the back bumper of the Audi.
The handbrake of the Audi is currently being tested to find out why it failed to work.

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/11 ... de/?ref=la

All's well that ends well.

 

[rynner2]

Belgian runaway train prompts alert

An empty train travelled along tracks in Belgium for 30 minutes without a driver after the man left his cabin to investigate an engine fault.
The train moved off from the platform at Landen, east of Brussels, and continued for another 12km (7.5 miles) before another driver jumped on board.

Although the train was moving slowly, services on the line were halted.
Officials cleared the next station of passengers and the train was brought under control.
"The train was going very slowly, the platform was clear and the station at Tirlemont (Tienen in Dutch) had been evacuated, so no passengers were ever put in danger," said Belgian rail operator SNCB (NMBS in Dutch).

The drama unfolded at around 21:00 (20:00 GMT) on Thursday.
When the driver saw the train driving off he alerted colleagues, who then switched signals on the westbound line towards Louvain.
"One of our drivers was able to jump in the driver's cabin around 21:30 to stop the train," said SNCB spokesman Bart Crols.

What is unclear is why the train was able to move away without its driver in the first place, which officials say is unprecedented.
The train's engine system is said to date back to the 1980s and SNCB has said it will conduct a thorough investigation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35611868

 

[Mythopoeika]

I thought that only happened in badly-made films?

 

[JamesWhitehead]

We know a song about that, don't we kiddies?

The runaway XXXX came down the track and she blew.
The runaway XXXX came down the track and she blew.
The runaway XXXX came down the track, her XXXX wide and her XXXX back,
And she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew.

No, not that one!

 

[rynner2]

Two men injured in 'runaway' bus crash in Glasgow city centre

Two men have been injured in an incident involving a "runaway" bus in Glasgow city centre.
Eyewitnesses said a service bus with no driver on board crashed at about 15:45. Two other buses and a car were damaged.

Renfield Street was closed for around two hours in the vicinity of West George Street and St Vincent Street as officers investigated the crash.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said two men were taken to hospital.
She said: "Police are appealing for information following an incident involving a bus in Glasgow city centre on Monday 18 July 2016.
"Around 15:45 police received a report of a bus apparently travelling south on Renfield Street having collided with a stationary car at traffic lights at West George Street. The car moved forward and struck a pedestrian on Renfield Street.

"The bus continued to travel on Renfield Street before it collided with a stationary bus near to St Vincent Street, which then nudged into another stationary bus on Renfield Street.
"Two men have been taken to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary for treatment to injuries.
"Inquiries are ongoing to establish the exact circumstances of the incident, including reviewing CCTV footage, and anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101."

Paul McNamee, editor of the Big Issue in Scotland, was walking on Renfield Street when the crash happened.
He told the BBC: "There didn't appear to be anyone on the runaway bus.
"It then collided with a single decker.
"It hit four buses and then sent one into a fifth.
"I didn't see anyone jump off - it appears the emergency doors sprang open with the collision."

etc...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-36829159

Photos and video on page.
I'm awaiting reports that CCTV shows a ghostly figure boarding the bus before it moved off...

 

[EnolaGaia]

This sort of incident is still occurring ...

Florida man's gas pedal gets stuck going 100 mph
A Florida man had to call 911 after the gas pedal of his car got stuck while going nearly 100 miles per hour down a busy Florida highway.

"I think my gas pedal is stuck on my car and I'm on I-95," Joseph Cooper, 28, said in a frantic call to 911 as his car bolted down the highway in Indian River County on Florida's east coast. ...

Attempts to put the car in neutral and decelerate didn't work. ...

As Cooper's black 2003 BMW X5 sped down the I-95 highway, Florida Highway Patrol troopers and Fellsmere Police Department officers were able to clear traffic in front of him and then put spikes on the road to deflate his tires. ...

Cooper drove approximately 50 miles with his gas pedal stuck before his car was finally stopped.

It's not clear what caused the pedal mishap.

FULL STORY (With Video): https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/0...?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=11

 

[hunck]

Indian runaway train takes 1,000 passengers on engineless journey

Twenty two carriages roll out of control for seven miles in Odisha state before being stopped by rocks placed on track

Authorities believe that brakes normally applied when carriages are detached or attached to an engine were either incorrectly used or overlooked altogether.

Mobile footage posted on social media showed the carriages speeding past a railway platform as helpless onlookers screamed and yelled at passengers to pull the train’s emergency brake.

This is a bit WTF:

A 2012 government report said that almost 15,000 people were killed in various ways every year on India’s railways and described the loss of life as an annual “massacre”.

 

[Ella]

Hi Fortean folks, long time reader and new to the forums. This news story came up locally and I thought it might be of interest. Link to the story here.

A driverless car careered down a hill at a local outdoor activity center, dislodged a huge bolder and nearly crashed into visitors. At first reading of this story I thought the car had simply been left parked with the brakes off, but it became stranger when I read this bit “The car definitely fired up itself and there was a huge rev from it. When we got down we could see there was nobody in the car."

and

Mrs Gibson added: “It was like something out of a Stephen King novel.

“Two witnesses heard the car engine come on and reverse away. It was quite frightening, actually

I would love to here anyones logical explanations for this and/or any other examples of cars or vehicles having a mind of their own.

Ella

 

[Mythopoeika]

I can think of no logical explanation for that.

 

[Xanatic*]

It was going backwards down hill, that sounds to me more like someone not setting the handbrake properly.

The actor Anton Yelchin was killed when his car rolled down an incline and crushed him. A known problem with that model of car apparently, Jeep Grand Cherokee.

 

[EnolaGaia]

Welcome to the FTMB ...

The news account is somewhat confusing and lacking in relevant details.

There are multiple references to the car rolling off in reverse, but the sole photo shows damage to the car's front end. It therefore seems as if the car slid or turned around before its final impact.

The car was apparently parked on a slope. There's no secondary evidence (e.g., reverse lamps activating) to prove the car was engaged in reverse (gear) rather than free-rolling backward down the slope.

The owner / driver was in a cafe 'nearby' with the keys in her handbag. If she had a remote start capability on her key fob and accidentally (com-)pressed the 'start' button it could have triggered the car starting.

Nowhere does it state in which gear the driver left the car after parking it. The DSG gearbox is configured as something of a pseudo-manual unit, and drivers accustomed to classic manual transmissions often leave them parked in gear.

The VW / Audi DSG gearboxes have a history of weirdness, including short circuits within the transmission causing shifting, inability to shift, and other unexpected behaviors.

Bottom Line: I'd have to get a clearer picture of the scene and the incident's particulars before suggesting any theory or theories. The one thing of which I'm confident is that (so far) the story isn't obviously outside the range of known accidents - particularly if one's talking about Audis with the DSG transmission.

 

[oldrover]

Welcome to the FTMB ...

The news account is somewhat confusing and lacking in relevant details.

There are multiple references to the car rolling off in reverse, but the sole photo shows damage to the car's front end. It therefore seems as if the car slid or turned around before its final impact.

The car was apparently parked on a slope. There's no secondary evidence (e.g., reverse lamps activating) to prove the car was engaged in reverse (gear) rather than free-rolling backward down the slope.

The owner / driver was in a cafe 'nearby' with the keys in her handbag. If she had a remote start capability on her key fob and accidentally (com-)pressed the 'start' button it could have triggered the car starting.

Nowhere does it state in which gear the driver left the car after parking it. The DSG gearbox is configured as something of a pseudo-manual unit, and drivers accustomed to classic manual transmissions often leave them parked in gear.

The VW / Audi DSG gearboxes have a history of weirdness, including short circuits within the transmission causing shifting, inability to shift, and other unexpected behaviors.

Bottom Line: I'd have to get a clearer picture of the scene and the incident's particulars before suggesting any theory or theories. The one thing of which I'm confident is that (so far) the story isn't obviously outside the range of known accidents - particularly if one's talking about Audis with the DSG transmission.

This DSG box seems to be a very similar to Mercedes' system, but with added faff. In which you can only remove the keys if the car is in P.