Sherman, CT Crash

[ViperTony]

Hindsight, shoulda, woulda, coulda is all we can offer at this point. I doubt we'll ever get the true story from this one. Be careful out there.

 

[jpm757]

Bottom line is, He was driving to fast for conditions. Not to mention the construction and posted 25 MPH signs! He is lucky he did not take out a construction worker.

It is not a work zone. about a quarter mile down the road is a stop sign and a 3 way intersection. A few hundred yards after that they are repairing a bridge on a road off from the main road. The speed limit is 45mph, the 25mph zone starts about a quarter mile ahead, and where he crashed, he was at the end of a mile long down hill straight away where the speed limit is 45.

The way I look at it is that he must have been speeding because he left that much rubber on the road trying to slow down, and still impacted the tree and did enough damage to destroy the car and almost kill himself. I am friends with a family friend of the driver, and he is not in good condition.

 

[PDCjonny]

It really is puzzling how the skidmarks start in the left lane. Was he passing someone, or just tearing down the road with no oncoming traffic in sight. Doubt he was passing someone they would have surely stopped. The car was still pointed in the correct direction but in the wrong lane. Odd. Distracted by something?

 

[ViperTony]

It really is puzzling how the skidmarks start in the left lane. Was he passing someone, or just tearing down the road with no oncoming traffic in sight. Doubt he was passing someone they would have surely stopped. The car was still pointed in the correct direction but in the wrong lane. Odd. Distracted by something?

Maybe deer, Nancy Pelosi or Obama jumped out at him in the middle of the road causing him to swerve and avoid them. Any one of them are scary enough to cause an accident like this.

 

[CitySnake]

Just last Sunday thought I would take the Viper out for a last drive. It was about 48 degrees, Sunny and dry roads at 2:00 P.M, Normal accelleration coming from a traffic light, hit second gear and the back end slid out and started wheel hopping..Scared the begeesis out of me. Turned around and went home. She is parked for the Winter.

No doubt driving at colder temps significantly reduce traction, but running home to hibernate a Viper due to a bitter cold 48 degree afternoon is akin to reporting the sky is falling, no?

I'm guessing we have a different interpretation of "normal acceleration".

I drive all winter if the roads are dry and it's not too cold (say below 25 degrees). Yea, I'm not the first one in a group to punch it, but we've got far more rubber on the road than most cars and with some right foot control, it's really not difficult to enjoy yourself.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

No doubt driving at colder temps significantly reduce traction, but running home to hibernate a Viper due to a bitter cold 48 degree afternoon is akin to reporting the sky is falling, no?

I'm guessing we have a different interpretation of "normal acceleration".

I drive all winter if the roads are dry and it's not too cold (say below 25 degrees). Yea, I'm not the first one in a group to punch it, but we've got far more rubber on the road than most cars and with some right foot control, it's really not difficult to enjoy yourself.

See you on the Taconic!

 

[scottmcc]

No doubt driving at colder temps significantly reduce traction, but running home to hibernate a Viper due to a bitter cold 48 degree afternoon is akin to reporting the sky is falling, no?

I'm guessing we have a different interpretation of "normal acceleration".

I drive all winter if the roads are dry and it's not too cold (say below 25 degrees). Yea, I'm not the first one in a group to punch it, but we've got far more rubber on the road than most cars and with some right foot control, it's really not difficult to enjoy yourself.

I think your missing the point chief!.. First of all, are you some kind of Chemical engineer on rubber compound that has decided that 25 degrees is the temp to NOT drive your viper? And are you also telling me that the amount of rubber you have on tires is a direct correlation to traction you have on slippery roads? Have you ever driven in snow before? Does a wide tire hydroplane more that a skinny tire? Your logic is dangerous...Yes we could all drive our Vipers year round. Heck, I could throw some chains on it and drive it all winter. And yes, once winter hits here in Michigan we do not see many days over 25 especially with wind chill factor thrown in. That is why I said my days of driving in Muskegon Michigan are done. We have a thing here called LAKE EFFECT climate. What the rest of the state sees is not necessarily what we get 2 miles of the shore of lake Michigan.
You see this falls into the category of "A mans got to know his limitations"! I would love to drive my Viper year round.

So spend a day here in Muskegon this winter with your Viper and you tell me if "The sky is falling"

 

[LifeIsGood]

Don't forget...take it to the track!

 

[plumcrazy]

scottmcc, city has a TON of miles in a viper. more than most on this site. youve owned yours for what 4 months. NYC get a get bit of snow (im sure not like you get but still a respectable amount)... SHHHHHH go paint more parts of your car.

LOL@LIG

 

[ulllose]

jpm757------r u a viper owner or did you just happen to check these forums and post the pics?

Just wondering, thanks for posting them either way. hope he's doing better.

 

[v10enomous]

Maybe deer, Nancy Pelosi or Obama jumped out at him in the middle of the road causing him to swerve and avoid them. Any one of them are scary enough to cause an accident like this.

Barney Frank in his Boxers...

 

[ViperTony]

Don't forget...take it to the track!

BWAHAHAHAHAAH

 

[scottmcc]

scottmcc, city has a TON of miles in a viper. more than most on this site. youve owned yours for what 4 months. NYC get a get bit of snow (im sure not like you get but still a respectable amount)... SHHHHHH go paint more parts of your car.

LOL@LIG

Hi Plum
Thanks for jumping in with your input..Seems your still stuck on my Powder Coated awesome rims and my park bench wing. I am glad I made an impression on you on the ALLEY.. Just think what would happen if you saw my Viper in person..
I could care less how many miles CITY has in driving in freezing rain and snow. Especially a vehicle without ABS...

Your one of the reasons I don't participate in the Viper Alley dialoge anymore and you seem to be as ignorant on this site as well.

Thanks for pointing out the fact that I am a new viper owner, but you are wrong on the amount of months.. It is not 4 but 8.. which is why I make my posts, because as a new viper owner it is easy to be over confident with these cars. We can't all be Viper Master Certified as you... LOL

Give the VCA a couple good reasons why someone should drive a viper in the aforementioned conditions. Tell me, Plum how to drive a car in these conditions...
Look forward to your response...

 

[LifeIsGood]

Damn it Plum, when did you get VMC...I want to be VMC too .

 

[plumcrazy]

LIG, consider it done. the cert is in the mail

 

[scottmcc]

LIG, I see your from Littleton.. I spent 20 years in Longmont..

I used to drive from longmont on I-25 to Arapahoe road everyday..
What a freaking mess that was and I am sure it has not gotten any better..

 

[Viper Wizard]

Speedy recovery Scott! That was a very clean FE. The last time I had it in my shop, it had less then 9000 mile on it.

 

[pure zen]

Agreed, Please, please, please, do not drive a Viper like it is a high performance vehicle on public roads. If you don't ever drive it on the track, the only reason to own it is for the exclusivity of owning something that looks cool, and sounds cool if you have aftermarket exhaust and occasionally take advantage of a quick acceleration up to speed on an interstate entrance ramp.

Sarcasm aside, we have no idea whatsoever about what happened here in order to base a judgement on. The least trustable source is a news report. The guy could have easily just been dodging a deer and lost it.

Couldn't have said it better Jim! I seem to get the morons on the 60 and 202, during rush hour, that want to race the Viper. Rush hour,,really, with the highway filled with cars in every lane. I'll just wait for the day when I find them on their roof on the side of the road,,,their ride totalled,,and they on their way to the hospital. They want to 'win' worse than I. jmo

 

[LifeIsGood]

LIG, I see your from Littleton.. I spent 20 years in Longmont..

I used to drive from longmont on I-25 to Arapahoe road everyday..
What a freaking mess that was and I am sure it has not gotten any better..

You got that right. It seems like it takes so long to get a new piece of road done...it opens...and they immediately have to start fixing it .

 

[bluesrt]

so do we know who the owner was? wizard has me confused

 

[markk]

His name is Scott Kravis. There was a post with his updated condition.
Sherman man upgraded to serious condition three days after crash - GreenwichTime

 

[jpm757]

jpm757------r u a viper owner or did you just happen to check these forums and post the pics?

Just wondering, thanks for posting them either way. hope he's doing better.

no haha I'm only 19. maybe someday, but for now i've got myself a b5 s4 avant. my neighbor, who actually owns a viper heard the crash said he could hear the car accelerating, then heard tires screeching, then the crash. He claims they'll get loose real easy if you're on and off the gas quickly

 

[Viper Wizard]

so do we know who the owner was? wizard has me confused

Scott does not post here and he is not in the club.

 

[Vipuronr]

Well, regardless of whether he is a member or not, he is still part of the Viper community and, so I wish him well.

Funny, I do travel that area pretty often and have never seen another red gen II...oh well.

If he's not a member, we'll probably never find out what actualy happened, so why speculate.

 

[red heat]

Maybe deer, Nancy Pelosi or Obama jumped out at him in the middle of the road causing him to swerve and avoid them. Any one of them are scary enough to cause an accident like this.

if it was nancy pelosi, probably wouldn't have seen the skid marks.

 

[musclenutz]

I'm on that road quite often as its only 15 minutes down the road from where I am. If you look closely at the pictures, you can see a shine on the road where the police are standing. That means the road was damp and, with the type of asphalt they use here, it is very slippery. With roads like that, he didn't really have to be going all that fast to wipe out.

At this point, without getting his side of the story, it seems unfair to flatly convict the guy of reckless speeding. There are so many more danger factors around here that you just never know.

Now, for me, it seems that he is not a VCA member and nobody in the club knows him. Regardless, let's hope he has a full recovery as the car is replaceable, but he is not.

We all know the car has b-lls, so if you want to keep yours, drive safely!

+1 We still do not know exactly what happened here..Hope he is going to be ok...If he was driving reckless,then he basicly asked for it,but wait until we know before condemning him ?

 

[Vipuronr]

More longer term, there is a chance (good maybe) that he will buy another Viper. If so, then since Chuck knows him and has worked on his FE, he may again. At that time, maybe Chuck will find out what the deal was.

Until then, who knows?

 

[zoomie]

"if it was nancy pelosi, probably wouldn't have seen the skid marks."

maybe an accelleration patch... or Reid, Nobama, Frank....

Best wishes to Scott .

 

[TAXIMAN1]

wow. what is going on with all these crashes.

 

[CitySnake]

I think your missing the point chief!.. First of all, are you some kind of Chemical engineer on rubber compound that has decided that 25 degrees is the temp to NOT drive your viper? And are you also telling me that the amount of rubber you have on tires is a direct correlation to traction you have on slippery roads? Have you ever driven in snow before? Does a wide tire hydroplane more that a skinny tire? Your logic is dangerous...Yes we could all drive our Vipers year round. Heck, I could throw some chains on it and drive it all winter. And yes, once winter hits here in Michigan we do not see many days over 25 especially with wind chill factor thrown in. That is why I said my days of driving in Muskegon Michigan are done. We have a thing here called LAKE EFFECT climate. What the rest of the state sees is not necessarily what we get 2 miles of the shore of lake Michigan.

You see this falls into the category of "A mans got to know his limitations"! I would love to drive my Viper year round.

So spend a day here in Muskegon this winter with your Viper and you tell me if "The sky is falling"

It's unclear to me if you're truly looking for an intelligent response, or if I upset you to the extent that you needed to be harsh (at the onset of the holiday season ).

Having far more time on this board (and on the Alley), I'll (try to ) take the high road for starters.

First off, please and honestly, I much prefer "City". The "Chief" thing is dated.

Summarizing up front, it would be helpful if you re-read your prior post. Seems it was not your intention, but it appeared to be an overreaction to the matter being discussed in this thread. It appeared that you were suggesting that a Viper becomes hazardous to drive in cool (48 degree) weather. You made no mention of "lake effect climate", the State of Michigan or Muskegon in that initial post. But it certainly sounds like most folks from Muskegon are tough customers compared to us feeble urban Manhattanites. You should bear in mind when you author a post, your readers are not co-lodged inside your conscious mind. You might also take a moment to enter your location into your site profile so we can get a slight glimmer.

OK, so that may have been just a bit more than a summary.

Anyway, of all the posters in this thread, I'd venture that I'm the most conservative Viper driver (heck, can YOU get over 45,000 miles on a set of PS1's ). There's likely no member on this site more prone to drive cautiously when there's even a hint of hazard. Point being that I should be the last member to make this argument as I surely am a professor of my “manly limitations”.

Most of your other questions appear to be more designed to undermine my wisdom rather than be sincere.

Regardless,

• I'm obviously no engineer, but several of my best friends are.
• My reference to 25 degrees relates mostly to dress. I simply don't enjoy having to wear a coat in a Gen 3/4 Viper seat. It's uncomfortable for me, especially as it restricts my upper body shifting movements, rolls up around my lower back and rubs against outside of my tender thighs. You know ... chaffing and all (do you chaff out there in Muskegon?). I begin to shiver from the cold in a sweater around 25 degrees. But you are correct, since some days I can get the shivers at 30 degrees or even 35 (sniffles too).
• Plum is one of the most righteous folks I've even known! That has absolutely nothing to do with my reply, but sometimes I can be just SO eclectic, no?

My apologies if I've offended as I have absolutely no intended malice. I should be grateful that I often can use my Viper year round here in NYS … without chains.