Another Example of the Dangers of Driving Past Your Expiration Date

Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP HIS
****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing to drive
after his ability to do so had deteriorated.

http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/81402.php

A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
in Oro Valley on Friday morning.

The crash happened around 9 a.m. at East Rancho Vistoso Boulevard and
North Oracle Road, said Becky Mendez, an Oro Valley Police Department
spokeswoman.

Byron Rudolph Berglund, 78, was taken by helicopter from the scene to
University Medical Center, where he later died.

Berglund was driving a Buick sedan east on Rancho Vistoso when Abraham
Romo Jr, driving a Nissan Maxima south on Oracle, hit the
driver's-side door of Berglund's car, Mendez said.

Romo, 20, of San Manuel, was taken to Northwest Medical Center for
non-life-threatening injuries.

Police are investigating the crash and no charges have been filed,
Mendez said.

Scott en Aztl=E1n wrote:
> Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
> high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
> that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
> could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP HIS
> ****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing to drive
> after his ability to do so had deteriorated.
>
> http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/81402.php
>
> A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
> in Oro Valley on Friday morning.
>

Amazing. A media first. They said "killed in a car crash" instead of
the usual euphemism "died in an accident".

As for the crash. This sounds like the type of thing any idiot could
do. Not a matter of age.

On 25 Jun 2005 10:18:12 -0700, "Laura Bush murdered her boy friend"
> wrote:

>> Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
>> high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
>> that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
>> could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP HIS
>> ****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing to drive
>> after his ability to do so had deteriorated.
>>
>> http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/81402.php
>>
>> A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
>> in Oro Valley on Friday morning.
>
>Amazing. A media first. They said "killed in a car crash" instead of
>the usual euphemism "died in an accident".
>
>As for the crash. This sounds like the type of thing any idiot could
>do. Not a matter of age.

No question that the cause of this collision was incompetence.
However, what are the chances that the good Doctor's incompetence was
a result of his advanced age versus some other cause?

Smart money says "age."

Scott en Aztl=E1n wrote:
> On 25 Jun 2005 10:18:12 -0700, "Laura Bush murdered her boy friend"
> > wrote:
>
> >> Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
> >> high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
> >> that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
> >> could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP HIS
> >> ****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing to drive
> >> after his ability to do so had deteriorated.
> >>
> >> http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/81402.php
> >>
> >> A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
> >> in Oro Valley on Friday morning.
> >
> >Amazing. A media first. They said "killed in a car crash" instead of
> >the usual euphemism "died in an accident".
> >
> >As for the crash. This sounds like the type of thing any idiot could
> >do. Not a matter of age.
>
> No question that the cause of this collision was incompetence.
> However, what are the chances that the good Doctor's incompetence was
> a result of his advanced age versus some other cause?
>
> Smart money says "age."

Other causes: cell phone, distraction looking at pretty girl, thinking
about something and not really noticing the other traffic, etc. Smart
money says that senility (your guess) is a very minor portion of
causes. =20

Harry K

On 25 Jun 2005 21:01:28 -0700, "Harry K" >
wrote:

>> >As for the crash. This sounds like the type of thing any idiot could
>> >do. Not a matter of age.
>>
>> No question that the cause of this collision was incompetence.
>> However, what are the chances that the good Doctor's incompetence was
>> a result of his advanced age versus some other cause?
>>
>> Smart money says "age."
>
>Other causes: cell phone, distraction looking at pretty girl, thinking
>about something and not really noticing the other traffic, etc. Smart
>money says that senility (your guess) is a very minor portion of
>causes.

You are the one who tried to put the word "senility" into my mouth.
There are lots of other age-correlated factors that reduce one's
driving ability: coordination, reaction time, and visual acuity to
name just a few.

Add them all up, and "age" is still the overwhelming favorite.

Scott en Aztl=E1n wrote:
> On 25 Jun 2005 21:01:28 -0700, "Harry K" >
> wrote:
>
> >> >As for the crash. This sounds like the type of thing any idiot could
> >> >do. Not a matter of age.
> >>
> >> No question that the cause of this collision was incompetence.
> >> However, what are the chances that the good Doctor's incompetence was
> >> a result of his advanced age versus some other cause?
> >>
> >> Smart money says "age."
> >
> >Other causes: cell phone, distraction looking at pretty girl, thinking
> >about something and not really noticing the other traffic, etc. Smart
> >money says that senility (your guess) is a very minor portion of
> >causes.
>
> You are the one who tried to put the word "senility" into my mouth.
> There are lots of other age-correlated factors that reduce one's
> driving ability: coordination, reaction time, and visual acuity to
> name just a few.
>
> Add them all up, and "age" is still the overwhelming favorite.

If you are worried about groups that are prone to accidents, how come
we don't hear any rants from you about the 18-20 group? They are head
and shoulders statistically above the senior citizen group.

Each time you rant about a rare accident caused by a senior citizen,
reflect on this: With luck you yourself will be one someday. I am
getting there myself but even in my young and stupid days I didn't rant
about old drivers.

Harry K

"Scott en Aztlán" > wrote in message
...
> Here we have an elderly gentleman who pulled out in front of oncoming
> high-speed traffic (the speed limit on Oracle Road is 50 or 55 MPH in
> that area), got T-boned, and bought the farm. A tragedy, yes, but it
> could have easily been avoided had this gentleman merely HUNG UP HIS
> ****ING CAR KEYS at the proper time instead of continuing to drive
> after his ability to do so had deteriorated.
>
> http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/81402.php
>
> A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
> in Oro Valley on Friday morning.

huh. my parents live in oro valley, i like that area. really nice! lots
of old people... it's golf course after gold course out there.

and no, my parents aren't anywhere near elderly!

brink

On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 23:42:55 -0500, "brink" >
wrote:

>> A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
>> in Oro Valley on Friday morning.
>
>huh. my parents live in oro valley, i like that area. really nice! lots
>of old people... it's golf course after gold course out there.

That's right - in fact, it sounds like the elderly gentleman who died
was coming out of one of them.

>and no, my parents aren't anywhere near elderly!

This guy lived in Saddlebrooke - an age-restricted retirement
community. I guess he just drove up to play a few holes.

As for Oro Valley, it's a popular place to live, but the traffic is
horrible! Oracle Road is basically the only way in or out (thus
everybody uses it),the road is too narrow, and the underposted speed
limit is roundly ignored (which is why you see so many OVPD cruisers
parked by the side of the road).

Of course, this is true of Tucson in general: too little road capacity
for the mushrooming population, underposted speed limits, and lots of
revenue collectors taking advantage of the situation to help correct
municipal budget shortfalls. Which is why I *hate* driving in Tucson.

"Scott en Aztlán" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 23:42:55 -0500, "brink" >
> wrote:
>
>>> A SaddleBrooke resident and retired doctor was killed in a car crash
>>> in Oro Valley on Friday morning.
>>
>>huh. my parents live in oro valley, i like that area. really nice! lots
>>of old people... it's golf course after gold course out there.
>
> That's right - in fact, it sounds like the elderly gentleman who died
> was coming out of one of them.
>
>>and no, my parents aren't anywhere near elderly!
>
> This guy lived in Saddlebrooke - an age-restricted retirement
> community. I guess he just drove up to play a few holes.
>
> As for Oro Valley, it's a popular place to live, but the traffic is
> horrible! Oracle Road is basically the only way in or out (thus
> everybody uses it),the road is too narrow, and the underposted speed
> limit is roundly ignored (which is why you see so many OVPD cruisers
> parked by the side of the road).

my parents *swear*--although this isn't from firsthand experience, they
admit--that OVPD will pull you over for doing 41 in a 40. they beseech me
to adhere strictly to those speed limits.

not easy when you're cruising on a wide-open 4-lane highway south into oro
valley down a 6 percent grade and the speed is posted at 40.

>
> Of course, this is true of Tucson in general: too little road capacity
> for the mushrooming population, underposted speed limits, and lots of
> revenue collectors taking advantage of the situation to help correct
> municipal budget shortfalls. Which is why I *hate* driving in Tucson.

driving in tucson sucks, mainly because of the lack of any real freeway
system. at least it's better than the suicidal phoenix surface streets,
where every major inersection is a free-for-all of unprotected left turns
against three lanes of *heavy* traffic. tucson seems to understand that
protected lefts (and i like the protected lefts *following* the green light)
are a big help when the volume of traffic is so massive.

i haven't seen really nasty stuff up where my parents live, but my dad
"commutes" all of 2 miles to his job at honeywell up in NE oro valley, so
they can hardly complain.

brink

brink wrote:
>
> my parents *swear*--although this isn't from firsthand experience, they
> admit--that OVPD will pull you over for doing 41 in a 40. they beseech me
> to adhere strictly to those speed limits.
>
> not easy when you're cruising on a wide-open 4-lane highway south into oro
> valley down a 6 percent grade and the speed is posted at 40.
>

Oh yeah - obeying the law is so difficult!!! Just watch the
speedometer you idiot and don't let it get above 40. No doubt you're
another of these psychopaths that drives while talking on a cell phone
and can't be bothered with paying attention. How many people do you
kill every week, you psycho??