RE: Driving too fast for conditions
While our first thoughts are for the injured and those who lost their lives in the accident, I would argue that the matter of blame, in a legal sense, is an appropriate subject, on a forum for drivers. I believe we all know that "there, but for the grace of God..." because we are out there seeing it every day. And this accident, particularly, is of interest, because the original accident was a rear ender. If the reports that the Panther driver who rearended the pickup truck was absolved of blame are accurate, this represents a reversal of the traditional assignment of "fault" to the driver who ran into another vehicle - a reversal that IMO, is long overdue. Because the 'safe following distance' upon which the rule is based, simply doesn't exist, sometimes, no matter how much one tries to maintain it - if there is room for someone to get in, someone will. And this is an even bigger problem for those of us who drive vehicles that are bigger, because no one wants to be behind us. Have you never had a vehicle pull in front of you, then hit the brakes? I'm pretty sure that isn't what happened here, but still, the rule that says rearend collisions are ALWAYS the fault of the driver in the rear is one that needs revised. If that happened here, then glory be, it's about time.