VIDEO: New Jersey Turnpike I-95 Crash, Black Ice

1.18.15 NJ Turnpike I-95 Crash - Black Ice

1.18.15 NJ Turnpike I-95 Crash - Black Ice

A driver was blocked by two trucks on south bound I-95 at exit 9 in NJ (New Brunswick exit). He only wanted to take a picture while he was waiting for them to clear up... And then he heard a noise from behind...he was barely missed. 

Fresh pair of underwear for that guy.

WOW, Just, I cant think of any other response other than Wow, Incredible luck for all involved that nobody appears to have been hurt....

Wow is right!! Man, that was scary. It also demonstrates the puzzling idea of building barricades that are two or three feet high. I can't tell you how many bridges there are on the Interstate with nothing but those standard concrete barriers keeping you from going over the edge. There's no way those things are going to keep a rig on a bridge if it veers almost straight at it like this one did.

Scary......

Pheww I'm sure glad I'm going down that way today instead of that day. Not sure who was scared more the guy filming or the guy in the truck who couldn't stop.

I showed this to a few friends who are familiar with the area but have never driven a big truck. The question I repeatedly heard was "why are they driving so fast on the ice?" The only viable answer I could come up with was, "they didn't know there was ice until it was too late." I keep running this scenario through my head and It's leading me to ask my own questions as well.... First I presume this is a preventable accident? Were these drivers aware that conditions were primed for Black Ice to occur? IF they knew that conditions were primed for black ice, I think its safe too assume they were indeed driving too fast, if not, then????? Obviously this video is only a snapshot in time and does not paint the entire picture, but it does give enough information to demonstrate just how dangerous our roads can be at times.

Good thing thing I started out in Ohio that day and got off in Breezewood. No ice, no mess. That driver really saved that situation from being worse. But honestly why any of these doubles drive that fast in inclimate conditions is beyond me. UPS, Fedex and Conway seem to be the top offenders on I80.

Yeah it's always a judgment call. I mean, keep track of how many hours you spend driving during the course of a year on roads that are visibly not dry and the temperature is between 25-40 .......... I mean, those are the conditions you can see icing like that. Because it's not all about the temperature outside. It can be 40 outside, but the air in higher layers above the ground is 25. So the rain freezes on the way through the cold air and doesn't thaw completely before hitting the ground. The road temp could be considerably colder than the air temp also.....leading to icing.

So there is a pretty wide range on conditions that can be conducive to ice build-up on the road. And it's not often you can tell the road is clearly dry. Often it just looks glassy......could be just the tiniest trace of moisture, could be water, could be ice........not much difference in how it looks.

Unfortunately we're not privy to technologies they've had for years but won't implement. For instance, there are places that have sensors built right into the highway that will tell the current temperature of the asphalt. Now wouldn't that be nice to know??? But they're not using that stuff for the general public. A lot of times it's the Highway Departments that use that information to help them decide when to plow, where to plow, and what mix of chemicals to put on the roadway.

Jeez. I actually felt a little adrenaline kick in while watching that. That is some scary stuff. Gotta drive for the conditions and keep a lot lot lot of space for a safe out.

WOW, Just, I cant think of any other response other than Wow, Incredible luck for all involved that nobody appears to have been hurt....

i don't think it appears that no one was hurt. I thought that when watching it on the news but this clip is longer and shows more if you watch closely. At the end of the video keep an eye on the rear trailer. Someone hits it pretty hard.

I drive doubles most of the time and often with a single axle truck. I keep even more space than I normally do (which is a lot) in winter conditions and will pull off in a heart beat if it turns to ice. As Ralph already stated by the time most people find out it is ice it is too late. This is why it is important to keep proper distances and that includes trying to manage the space behind you.

Woody