Latest Headlines
- Cantonment Man Charged With Sexual Battery, Molestation Of 5-Year-Old
- Two Newly Elected Escambia School Members Installed
- Matt Gaetz Withdraws From Attorney General Consideration
- Molino Dollar General Assistant Manager And Her Boyfriend Charged With Theft
- Century Town Hall Closed For Portions Of Next Two Business Days
- Troopers Say Semi Driver Fell Asleep Causing Crash That Block I-10 For Hours
- Free Dental, Vision and Medical Care Available At Weekend Clinic
- Farm Share Food Distributions Friday In Walnut Hill, Saturday In Cantonment
- ECUA Elects Board Officers, Appoints Advisory Committee
- One Injured In Highway 29 Crash
Jeep, Gasoline Tanker Collide In Cantonment (Updated Details)
January 21, 2016
[Update 7 pm] A crash between an 18-wheel tanker truck hauling gasoline and a Jeep caused traffic delays in Cantonment Thursday afternoon.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 35-year old Michael Jason Crabtree of Pensacola was northbound on Highway 29 and lowered his rate of speed and activated his turn signals to turn the tanker truck into a gas station. Troopers said 32-year old William Todd Barlow of Molino was northbound on Highway 29 in 2004 Jeep Wrangler collided with the truck’s trailer about 2:10 p.m.
The Jeep became lodged under the partially loaded tanker trailer. There were no injuries and no leaks. However, there was concern that the accident might have damaged a valve on the tank that would lead to gasoline leak when the vehicles were separated. At about 3:55 p.m., the vehicles were separated with no further fuel leakage.
Barlow was cited with careless driving, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Comments
23 Responses to “Jeep, Gasoline Tanker Collide In Cantonment (Updated Details)”
I keep seeing post about what direction drivers should take to get in places, but fuel trucks are limited to where the tanks are located, and which direction they must be facing to get to those tanks. If the only way to reach the tanks in that store is by facing east, then the driver doesn’t really have a choice as to which direction he enters. Just a thought.
I am the wife of an OTR truck driver. I mentioned this to my husband and he said he sees it all of the time. Drivers should slow down and pay attention when approaching a truck in this situation. Making a left turn is usually no problem but because of the length of the truck the driver has to swing to the left before turning right, hence the signs on the back of trucks. These trucks do not turn on a dime. Believe me, the truck driver does not want to be in an accident any more than you do.
Just a accident. Could of all this been prevented yes can all accident be prevented yes. Slow down because everyone goes fast there. The gas station is in a bad spot not to have a turning lane coming off 29 so drivers don’t have to swing out so far when drivers swing out it does appear that the mergeing into the other lane and I think it’s law could be wrong once you start your wide turn you cant stop the turn and that would give the truck the right away. Still agree for what it’s worth that why block that intersection at hwy29 at beck lake down under the light when you can just take a right on becks lake or come straight down becks lake and turn in without making a wide turn a tanker should always take the safest route into a gas station and coming off 29 instead of becks lake doesn’t make since. It’s 3 times as wide to get into the parking lot from that side.on becks lake rd. Glad no one was killed very very lucky and hopefully people will read everyone’s comments and know what to do next time. God bless everyone involved. And drive safe none wants to lose a love one to poor driving.
REGARDING:
“It is ILLEGAL to use emergency hazard (flashers)lights while moving..Period! ”
Actually, no, it is not illegal PERIOD. The law mentions cases in which it is required.
For example, a school bus or truck using inflammable liquids is required to signal it is going to stop at all railroad crossings and to continue until having passed through the crossing.
You can not both do it and not do it at the same time.
As to signaling intention to turn and using four way flashers, they use the same lights so all you would see was the four way flashers. Since the four ways are required and do not allow turn signals simultaneously, the four way telling everyone nearing it that there is a hazardous situation is signaling a possible turn, possible breakdown, possible about to explode or any other hazard.
Drivers approaching such situations are required to use their brains and judgment. (We all use poor judgment from time to time but that doesn’t mean we should pretend to justify it later; hat just means we intend to do it again and haven’t learned a thing from the experience.)
The idea that every driver thought he was broke down and so they were passing him on the right would mean they weren’t looking at what he was actually doing. Since several watched the one who hit pass him to go run into the truck, it appears they did NOT assume the truck was stopped and that passing on the right would be hunky dory.
Note the driver of the tanker was not ticketed by the officer who (we assume) knows the law forward and backward for doing what he was required by law to do.
David for self-driving cars ASAP
Just to be technical, the “amber” lights are the yellow blinkers, so the hazard flashers are mentioned.
MC.. Your wasting your time…I know how this law reads…Key words..”may show AMBER lights”..emergency flashers are not mentioned ..its all in how you interpret the law. You still have to use your directional signal by law on which way your turning when you are beginning to turn…period. I don’t really care..not wasting anymore of my time..have a good day!
Yes that is what the law says, but it does say except for the vehicles listed in section 4 which a petroleum tanker is on that list for the use in slow moving, hazardous situations.
Ok SJ, you can go back to the law and look at 316.2397(4)… This is a direct copy and paste from the state website…(4) Road or street maintenance equipment, road or street maintenance vehicles, road service vehicles, refuse collection vehicles, petroleum tankers, and mail carrier vehicles may show or display amber lights when in operation or a hazard exists. A commercial motor vehicle or trailer designed to transport unprocessed logs or pulpwood may show or display an amber light affixed to the rearmost point of the vehicle or trailer.
I know the law on this.
MC….Look up the LAW…Florida Statute 316.2397(7)…It is ILLEGAL to use emergency hazard (flashers)lights while moving..Period! The truck should have used a right blinker and made sure there were no vehicles coming when he decided to start moving again. If the jeep would have been going so fast why wasn’t there much more damage to both vehicles! Maybe when they are trying a maneuver a gasoline truck into this tight space like this again the owner of the store needs to have an Escambia County Deputy to direct traffic so everyone is safe!
No matter what happened & how, thank goodness this was not any worse. A partially filled tank of gas is way worse than a full one, & it is a miracle there was no explosion.
29 is a US highway, not interstate, & if you hit someone from behind when they slow or stop to make a turn on a US highway, you are automatically in the wrong. When you see a big truck ahead of you going very slow or stopped, find out what’s happening, don’t just zing around it like you own the road. When you pass a truck or are cruising along next to one, you are in danger, get on by or drop back, just my philosophy.
For those confused by hazard flashers, they are to indicate that a vehicle is moving slow, stopped, or maneuvering. Trucks can’t have turn signals switching directions every couple seconds to indicate a change in direction.
Does seem as if everyone thinks they are the only ones that have to be somewhere quick as they can get there. Everybody else is just in their way! and going as slow as 40mph in Cantonment during busy times may cause some road rage! I
To be honest even with a spotter people are always gonna be in too big of a hurry or too glued to a phone or mirror or something else to pay attention. I used to spot for my husband to pull down our driveway off of a busy street and let’s just say I ended up having to use my personal vehicle to block traffic and people still tried to run me over to try to go around him because they were just too impatient to sit for the 2 mins it would take him to back the truck safely off the road. It’s simple, leave the house earlier, slow down and pay attention to others esp semi drivers, they aren’t there on the roads to inconvenience u, mind u they deliver everything u need and want on a daily basis. They are just trying to make a living and make it back home safely to their loved ones as well.
People drive way too fast through Cantonment…. 40 mph is fast enough. There is NO way that big truck can turn into the gas station from the outside (slow) lane, they have to use two lanes to turn in that small area. They also need a blinker showing which direction they are going..not emergency blinkers…that is confusing for people behind them. Why don’t they come in from straight across (Muscogee Rd) and turn in? If they are going to come in from Hwy 29 they need a spotter to let them know when its safe. I have seen people stop traffic for the feed stores trucks and they back in. There were mistakes made by everyone that’s why they are called accidents!
In addition Gwen, this is exactly why Muscogee Road needs to be dealt with now. We do thank the DOT for putting an island in with a pedestrian walk that really impedes trucks turning. Why not expand the intersection and even take up part of the golf course to do it? What if that accident,at that intersection, had been a fiery crash. Guess there would have been alot of finger pointing by politicians.
There is a side road on becks lake rd to pull into the gas station instead of blocking hwy 29 wonder why they don’t pull there tankers in from that direction. That way you not blocking any roads. That station is hard to get in and out of with a car or truck coming off 29 can’t imagine a tanker doing it.
The tanker was in the slow lane then pulled the front of he’s rig into the fast lane and all except he’s back tires were in the fast lane so he could make the right turn. The jeep was in the fast lane and the tanker waited for other cars to pass. Guess the jeep saw other cars passing so he was going pass as well and went into the slow lane. Tanker turned jeep was coming and collided. That gas station is very tight and hard to get in and out with a tanker you do have to swing very wide there to get in the station. Could the jeep have waited sure. Could the truck of waited yes.
The tanker was in the tight lane with its flashers on and then had to swing slightly into the fast lane to make the turn! The jeep accelerated from the slow lane into the fast lane as they approached the intersection to go around the slowing traffic ahead. The jeep then almost rear ended the red truck ahead of them in the fast lane that was braking/slowing as the tanker was swinging slightly into the fast lane! At that time the jeep accelerated again and shot around the red truck directly into the side if the tanker as it was turning right!
Made me run half an hour late this afternoon. Inconvenienced loads of people. Glad no one was hurt. Again, and this can’t be said often enough, or loud enough. Wake up and pay attention. PLEASE! That’s 5 potentially serious accidents this week, so far. Luckily, only one person was actually badly hurt. Hang up, put the coffee down, pay attention.
Well the truck was not sitting in the middle of the rd .old boy in the jeep was hauling butt and wasn’t paying attention. He passed the car that was slowing down for the truck to turn and this is what happened …I seen it all happen right beside me ….
That’s my dad that was driving the tanker. I’m glad everyone is ok and safe
The truck was sitting in the left lane (fast lane) with its emergency flahers on…no blinker! Everyone thought he was broke down and were going around him!!!
This is exactly why trucks have the “this truck makes wide right turns” signs on the back.