I would haveered into the truck which I passed to stop myehicle.
Could themergency brake have been gently applied to slow and stop?
I blame the driver’s incompetence for the girl’s death.
But not just driving incompetence. He had modified his truck and essentially disabled the parking brake.
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Nothing in the video to suggest that…
Since the truck is a fairly new model, I can’t say whether the transmission’s control unit would have allowed him to put the truck into reverse or not. Applying the parking brake would not be very effective given the float he was towing.
Since he admitted there was a brake problem… not sure if it was before or after the incident… he may be guilty or he may not.
So many details lacking in this video it is impossible to assign blame. The courts and a jury will deal with that.
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Pay little attention to the video. I live in the area and the story has been covered in detail by the newspaper and TV stations. He was cited for “improper brakes”.
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Yeah, still very little additional detail except the driver was a mechanic and was charged with a class F felony.
Still nothing about the lack of parking brakes, condition of the truck’s brakes or his statements before and after the incident.
This is one of dozens of stories in the paper and on TV. Maybe I heard that was a theory (and not fact). Still I know he is one “mechanic” I would not want working on anything I own.
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It is a very sad tragedy and no parent should ever have to bury their child, I know…
But we don’t know if it was the mechanics fault or a failed/defective part that was replaced, or a OEM part that failed with the extra weight of the float while probably riding the brakes…
I’m sure the driver WILL have nightmares about this the rest of his/her life, don’t think too many cereal killers are out pulling floats trying to run over people while only driving 2 mph and hollering for help…
Now IF he/she is found guilty of foul play, then they should be punished to the FULL extent of the law…
And BTW, they could have also shot the tires out and that would have slowed/stopped the truck as well as putting in reverse (if even possible), or a few other things, but until you are in that panic situation you don’t know how you would act… Not everybody can handle pressure in an emergency… And to sum it up as far as what could have been done, if a frog had wings it would not bumps it’s butt every time it jumped… coulda woulda shoulda…
Considering a worst case scenario, I check tire pressures and the vehicle brakes and emergency brake before departing.
Also rehearse what to do if something like this were to happen.
When I was driving a dump truck, if the transmission failed and brakes failed in the mountains I would gently slide the truck along the guard rail to stop it. No guard rail?, steer onto the shoulder and if necessary rub againsthe hillside.
In this location I would have veered into thatruck thathe brakeless truck passed.
The master cylinder was damaged with power steering fluid, inoperative parking brake and likely no trailer brakes.
Master cylinder reservoir cap diaphragm:
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Raleigh had cancelled this year’s parade, but now it will go on but without vehicles.
The driver "Glass was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, careless and reckless driving, improper equipment, unsafe movement and carrying a firearm in a parade.
In March, a grand jury returned a true bill of indictment stating that Glass’s charge of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle would be elevated to felony involuntary manslaughter. His truck had missed multiple vehicle inspections before the parade, and he had modified the vehicle truck to remove the emergency brake, according to prosecutor Shaun Taylor."
“In the wake of Hailey’s death, April and Trey Brooks of Raleigh, her parents, filed a wrongful death suit in April against several parties.”
“The lawsuit names Glass; CC & Co Dance Complex; D and L Floats LLC, a parade float provider; and the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association, the parade organizers.”
Count Chocula is the only cereal killer I’m aware of. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
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This is an old story and the driver was an idiot. The thing of interest to me is how you can be both criminally charged and then civilly charged for the same incident. It used to be you had to pick to avoid double jeopardy. Still I don’t know how you can have a parade with no vehicles unless you use horses. But I trust trucks more than horses.
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Not true. Double jeopardy only applies in criminal cases. An unlimited number of civil suits can be filed.
Remember OJ Simpson. Acquitted in the criminal case to lose the Goldman families civil suit.
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True but doesn’t seem right. Yeah on oj innocent on criminal but guilty on civil. Should have been guilty all around but just seems like a means to harass.
Dang computer changes everything. Maybe I’ve been infiltrated. 
Criminal charges are judged beyond a reasonable doubt. In OJs case that might have meant life in prison.
The California civil case yardstick is 51% liable (I think, if I remember that correctly), not guilty or innocent. Then they determine the damages to be paid. Could be $1, could be $100 million or anywhere in between (or more).
Yes you can lose one and win one. That’s the way it works.
It was in the paper today because this year’s parade is tomorrow.
Which is the reason that the Raleigh Veterans Day parade was canceled. The reason was that many vets are older and could not possibly walk the parade route.