The Traffic Accident Reconstruction Origin -ARnews-

Re: Severed Vehicle

Wade Bartlett (wade@mfes.com)
Mon, 30 Nov 1998 22:29:33 -0500 (EST)

I'm a little late to the discussion, I just moved home business....That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

I have seen a nearly new mercedes four-door sedan (sorry model escapes me now) split behind the A-pillar when grandma had a coronary, and leaned on the pedal. She sheared off a big tree I was told. The two halves were held together by a wire bundle the e-brake cable. Nothing else. No corrosion. Lots of energy dissipation.

I saw an escort split in the same place, after taking a parked show-plow sideways at high speed. Minor corrosion, not really contributory, though.

I saw an Acura NSX split into about 5 approximately equal pieces. They literally scooped it up with a bucket loader to put it on the flatbed. He went off the berm at high speed, wound up many feet into the trees.

So, it can happen without lots of corrosion, if the energy levels and impact location/type are just right. That factory seam behind the A-pillar is NOT as strong as the two floorpans to either side of it. What a shitty day, though, eh?
See ay at the races!

Wade Bartlett
wade@mfes.com

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