Another bad RV wreck, driver dead. Montreal.

That video link... OMG!

Unreal that a MH could grab that much air before landing on the ferry. It's like something out of a fictional movie...

All those people walking and standing nearby, amazing none were killed, an absolute miracle.

Thanks for posting the link.

This is so sad. My condolences to the family and friends of those involved.

Thank you to those posting the updates and the video. That video is absolutely amazing. I was trying to get a mental image of the relationship of the ship to the dock from the verbal descriptions. I figured the ferry was just a couple of feet away from the dock, but that video shows the true distance as quite a bit further than that. Seeing the position of ferry passengers just seconds before the impact, it's amazing none of the ferry passengers were hurt.

According to the update, that driver did everything he could to alert people who were in harm's way, and he deserves accolades for that. This entire scene could've been so much worse. It looks like there's a winch on the back of the ferry that was just missed. Had the motorhome home hit that, the motorhome debris would possibly have been spread all over the ferry. The motorhome landed on what appeared to be mostly open space. And had the gas tank ruptured on the impact and gasoline was spread all over the deck of the ferry, this could've been a horrific scene. All things considered, whether through the driver's actions or divine intervention, that crash seemed to be about the best outcome possible under the circumstances. Again, that driver, Eric Belec, apparently spent his last seconds in control trying to warn others. Rest in Peace, Eric.

Hopefully his passenger will make a full recovery. Prayers to all.

~Rick

TNGW1500SE wrote:
***I wonder if he tried***

I think it's valid to analyze what someone might have done. I too would have hoped to turn, lay it on it's side or run into something better than the gate or downshift.

Too bad there wasn't a way to land in the water- the location of the boat was sadly both "wrong" although yeah, other people could have easily been killed if it were different.

Conversely, there's also a real possibility that many of us would wind up in the same situation. The options at 0 MPH on the keyboard are simpler to sort through and clearer.

Bionic Man wrote:
https://youtu.be/ZyD-W0AE1hs

I didn’t make this a clicky for a reason. If you want to see the accident itself copy and paste the link.

Wow! No wonder you can tell what kind of RV it was from the pictures!

I wonder if he tried the parking brake? People should know: If you're brakes fail, first thing to do is use the parking brake, then shift into park if you have to. Shifting to park will probably break the parking "paw" in the transmission but it would be worth a try and the sooner you do it (less speed) the better chance it would have a stopping you.

https://youtu.be/ZyD-W0AE1hs

I didn’t make this a clicky for a reason. If you want to see the accident itself copy and paste the link.

Wow, how awful.

** Update to the article..
I suspect brake loss.
Driver tried very hard to avoid causing harm to others

Update to crash

DrewE wrote:
I agree that a brake problem seems quite likely if it is indeed the result of a mechanical failure. The authorities quoted don't seem to suspect it, and they'd know far better than I, but either a sudden medical problem with the driver or mistakenly pushing the gas instead of the brake pedal could also concievably be the cause.

The story linked to in the OP says "SQ spokesperson Sgt. Hugues Beaulieu said it appears a mechanical problem led to the crash, which is under investigation."

Very tragic indeed.

I agree that a brake problem seems quite likely if it is indeed the result of a mechanical failure. The authorities quoted don't seem to suspect it, and they'd know far better than I, but either a sudden medical problem with the driver or mistakenly pushing the gas instead of the brake pedal could also concievably be the cause.

The destruction of the RV doesn't really surprise me, unfortunately. They are not crashworthy vehicles, by and large. Thankfully, the majority of time, one can avoid serious crashes through careful and alert driving and some common sense...but sadly not always.

This is disturbing - we are planning on taking that ferry this Fall.
It would seem most likely a brake problem. How sad. Also amazing how "destroyed" the RV was.