Wrong-way Thruway crash on Grand Island kills 3, injures 2

This is why when you reach a certain age every state should make it mandatory that you have to go through some sort of evalutation proving you’re suitable to be driving a motor vehicle.

http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article940729.ece

http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=60330172-c9dd-11e1-b951-7f59d634a0bb&T=19aha9hfs%2fX%3d1341848843%2fE%3d2022775704%2fR%3dnchome%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d8.1%2fW%3d0%2fY%3dPARTNER_US%2fF%3d4217432271%2fH%3dYWx0c3BpZD0iOTY3MjgzMDAzIiBzZXJ2ZUlkPSI2MDMzMDE3Mi1jOWRkLTExZTEtYjk1MS03ZjU5ZDYzNGEwYmIiIHNpdGVJZD0iMTM0NDU1MSIgdFN0bXA9IjEzNDE4NDg4NDM2NzMxMTQiIHRhcmdldD0iX3RvcCIg%2fQ%3d-1%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3dF00D8862&U=128vnkgqv%2fN%3da5o7EGKIDKI-%2fC%3d-1%2fD%3dAP35%2fB%3d-1%2fV%3d5An SUV driven by an 87-year-old Kenmore man driving the wrong way on the Niagara Thruway on Grand Island collided head-on with a car early today, killing three Michigan residents riding in the car, State Police officials said.Both the elderly man, identified by police as Richard Hildebrand of West Hazeltine Avenue, and the other driver, Burhanur B. Rahman, 22, of Hamtramck, Mich., were taken to Erie County Medical Center, where they were listed in critical condition.

Investigators identified the three passengers who died as Shofiul Alom, 20; Nazim Khan, 21; and Rezwan Chowdhury, also 21, all of Hamtramck, Mich.
It’s unclear whether they were visiting someone in the area or just passing through; Hamtramck is located in the Detroit metropolitan area.

Police say they are continuing to investigate how the older man wound up driving northbound in the southbound lane near the Whitehaven Road exit, where the crash occurred. First responders, though, said he appeared disoriented at the scene.

The accident was reported at 12:47 a.m., between the Whitehaven Road and Beaver Island State Park exits, about 500 feet north of the Staley Road overpass.

State Police responded first, followed by Grand Island volunteer firefighters. Both injured drivers were out of their vehicles by the time firefighters responded, with the elderly man suffering from chest and nose injuries, authorities said.
Emergency crews found two victims in the back seat of the car and the other in the front passenger seat.

Hildebrand was alone in his SUV.
The southbound Niagara Thruway was closed after the crash, reopening shortly before 7 a.m.

Agreed…Old people are just shitty drivers.

87 is pretty extreme. Wait until we have millions of baby boomers driving at 87. Scary.

Gotta Love AARP…

Hell, even if they dont go through full testing to see if they should keep their license. Maybe we should do a eye exam, some other type of hand eye exam…something every time they reregister their cars.

https://youtu.be/4P7_t4-WsB8

Explain again how piloting a buick with <insert geriatric disease/malfunction here> is not DWAI?

I’m thinking the same. You can be ticketed and charged with a crime for driving with your abilities impaired but you can be elderly, get behind the wheel with the same, or worse impairments and do the same amount of damage. If there is any sort of petition / referendum to enact stricter testing for the elderly, please post it here and lets all get on board with this. It has to stop. Too many prople are behind the wheel that shouldn’t be, killing people and drving through buildings, or both.

Wow, that guy lived in my girlfriends apartment complex.

I remember reading something when I was about 35 that said a 70 year old has the same reaction time as a 35 year old with a BAC of .10. I thought to myself why isn’t it illegal for old people to drive then?!?!?

The answer to all your questions is the largest lobbying group in the USA won’t ever let legislation pass that would put this into law… AARP.

this. because they vote.

Meh, let them all kill themselves driving their cars. It’ll take care of itself.

Why would AARP want these people to drive? lol

While they take out the innocent bystanders in the meantime?

first the baby boomers ransack social security, now they are going to murder all of us on this fine nation’s highways lol

http://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/roadsafety/Safer_behaviours/fatigue__and__distractions

Research has shown that not sleeping for more than 17 hours has an effect on driving ability the same as a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.05. Not sleeping for 24 hours has the same effect of having a BAC of 0.10, double the legal limit.

I also agree on retesting elderly drivers, perhaps whenever they renew their license past a certain age… People will Sleep Disorders (specifically narcolepsy) can have their license revoked or limited by NYS. It’s a requirement for a doctor to notify the state of any positive case of Narcolepsy.

But like you guys say… Nobody wants to lose a voters vote.

P.S. this guy lived and killed 2. Who says he won’t strike again and kill a couple more?

87 at 12:30 at night…

and estimated up to 8 miles…

If more young people actually did their civic duty and voted, this wouldn’t be a problem. Don’t blame them for showing up at the polls in huge numbers, blame yourselves for not.