Indianapolis--Motorcyclist hits ladder on I-465

[vanagon40]

Anyone have any additional information on this? My wife drove past it on Tuesday night.

A motorcyclist was seriously injured Tuesday night after he hit an aluminum ladder on I-465. Slightly more details here.

[indybobm]

Hope he is ok. The only one I have seen today is the guy running from the police on Kessler Bvld and hit the guard rail. He died. Years ago, I hit an army shovel on 465 northbound on the east side of Indy. Guess it fell off of a jeep. Luckily i opened the throttle and shifted my weight back and went over it. Scared the hell out of me.

[J.Mencalice]

"Officials are unsure at this time whether the ladder fell from a truck".

Wouldn't you like to have been in on that discussion?

Scene:  The "war room" of the Office of the Officials for Stupid Press Releases.

#1:  What should we say?
#2:  We better not commit to any type of vehicle, driver or their place of national origin, religion, age, gender, or physical description.
#1:  Well, should we say that it fell from the sky and was a possible act of God?
#2:  No, let's not bring God into this conversation, we'll catch hell from the atheists.
#1:  We'd better come up with something or the press will have a field day with us.
#2:  Think!   Think!
#1:  I got it.  We'll just be good public servants and release a bunch of gibberish that will make people believe that the ladder just appeared on the roadway like a mushroom after a rain storm..
#2:  Fantastic!  That way they'll understand that all ladders that they see lying in the middle of a freeway don't necessarily fall from a truck (where they see most of them, most of the time); and so that the government won't have to have a sticker put on the side of all ladders (even the two footers) that cautions owners to be careful when they are put up on truck racks that they sometimes commit suicide by leaping off of said racks.
#1:  Yeah...give'em gibberish.

With seriousness of the situation, this is a problem all over the country.  People being hurt/killed by unsecured stuff on the roofs of cars (Hold on to that mattress, Earl!  I got the other side!), trucks (Put that bucket of wrenches next to the tailgate, Earl!  It'll stay put till we get off of Rollercoaster Road), and the classic (I only got one bungee cord left Earl, where should I put it to hold that twenty four footer on?).

Hope that guy makes it.
Hope somebody steps forward with a video and a license plate.

[rocketray]

I live in Dallas and have barely missed ladders-twice , whole front end car fascia's , couches , chairs ,boards , plywood sheets......

[Willow]

"Officials are unsure at this time whether the ladder fell from a truck".

Wouldn't you like to have been in on that discussion?
...

I believe the writer communicated it poorly but what he intended to get across was that they did not know whether he hit it as it fell from a truck or that it was already lying in the road when he struck it.

I hope he recovers also.  That is a real danger for motorcyclists.

[MarkT]

Once in Aurora I had to stop fast in traffic.  The panel van behind me slammed on his brakes and the two ladders on top slid off the rack and passed me.  Couldn't believe my luck that neither the van or the ladders hit me.

[hubcapsc]

Wait till Jess from Virginia reads this thread...

-Mike "he has a ladder story, I think..."

[desertrefugee]

I live in Dallas and have barely missed ladders-twice , whole front end car fascia's , couches , chairs ,boards , plywood sheets......

Boy, can I relate to the plywood.  Had a sheet fly off the back of a truck once and sail up and then right back at me.  I instinctively ducked my head and it glanced off my helmet on it's way to  being added to the highway debris.   That one scared me.   More, actually, after I thought about it a bit.

And, yes, in Phoenix you never know what will get deposited on the freeways.

[old2soon]

Speaking from my years in the high seat of an 18 wheeler the larger the city/urban area the more crap you'll see in the roadways. BUT That being said I've seen crap dropped in B F E. I've seen vehicles come off of towbars and/or trailers seen boats on the Interstate on or off trailers AND I could have furnished a lot of 3 and 4 bedroom domiciles with the furniture and appliances I've seen on the roads over the years. I have personally run over with my 18 wheeler(s) MORE than my fair share of Expensive extension ladders. Well they WERE expensive til I ran them over. After seeing so much furniture and appliances scattered hither and yon would have loved to be at the destination-Erv-you SURE you loaded that couch/bed/dresser/freezer etc etc. PRAY the rider heals up. RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

Wait till Jess from Virginia reads this thread...

-Mike "he has a ladder story, I think..."

No, my story is a big honkin' king or queen mattress floating this way and that in the freeway drafts.  They are actually pretty heavy, but at 70, it just floated back and forth in the air.  I go left, it floats left, I go right, it floats right.  It was like a smart-bomb-mattress.  I faked left then went right to miss it.  (It was like being in a roadrunner cartoon.)

It would be softer to fall on than a ladder, but wiping out at freeway speeds, you wouldn't get lucky enough to actually land on it.

In my town (maybe every town), one of the most common vehicles everywhere is the white van with 2 to 20 ladders on top.  I give them wide berth.  

    

[baldo]

[url]http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/motorcyclist-stunned-after-being-hit-10160110/url]

[RDKLL]

 
Was thinking of this while scolling thru the posts
[/quote]
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/motorcyclist-stunned-after-being-hit-10160110

[hubcapsc]

Wait till Jess from Virginia reads this thread...

-Mike "he has a ladder story, I think..."

No, my story is a big honkin' king or queen mattress floating this way and that in the freeway drafts.  They are actually pretty heavy, but at 70, it just floated back and forth in the air.  I go left, it floats left, I go right, it floats right.  It was like a smart-bomb-mattress.  I faked left then went right to miss it.  (It was like being in a roadrunner cartoon.)

It would be softer to fall on than a ladder, but wiping out at freeway speeds, you wouldn't get lucky enough to actually land on it.

In my town (maybe every town), one of the most common vehicles everywhere is the white van with 2 to 20 ladders on top.  I give them wide berth.  

Somebody (or maybe I'm dreaming) has a story about a ladder in the road
that they had to hit, they just ran up the rungs and came off the other side
without crashing...

-Mike

[Alpha Dog]

A couple years ago the wife, boy, and myself were heading north on the I-127 in Michigan close the Ithica exit.   I was pulling my motorcycle trailer.  All of a sudden something stretched across the entire lane and no way to avoid it.  Went over it and it was some sort of ribbon type material over 10 foot long.  It went swirling in the air and finally came down a hundred yards back on a newer Corvette in the passing lane.  I watched in amusement for a long time as driver hands came out the window to try to remove it from his windshield.  I sensed the occupants were angry.  Finally the vet stopped and we lost sight of them, to get it off.  About five minutes later up roars that Vet pulling close and both occupants giving me us the finger.  I do not mind this if I am in the wrong, but how they could think that somehow I was at fault and got road rage over a harmless ribbon and must have planned for this all to happen set me off.

I raced that Vet down with our trailer pulling Rainer and ---------   Well not really.  I think I flipped them back for just being snooty idiots.

[Skinhead]

Wait till Jess from Virginia reads this thread...

-Mike "he has a ladder story, I think..."

No, my story is a big honkin' king or queen mattress floating this way and that in the freeway drafts.  They are actually pretty heavy, but at 70, it just floated back and forth in the air.  I go left, it floats left, I go right, it floats right.  It was like a smart-bomb-mattress.  I faked left then went right to miss it.  (It was like being in a roadrunner cartoon.)

It would be softer to fall on than a ladder, but wiping out at freeway speeds, you wouldn't get lucky enough to actually land on it.

In my town (maybe every town), one of the most common vehicles everywhere is the white van with 2 to 20 ladders on top.  I give them wide berth.  

Somebody (or maybe I'm dreaming) has a story about a ladder in the road
that they had to hit, they just ran up the rungs and came off the other side
without crashing...

-Mike

That was RJ (may he RIP), one of his CHP stories I believe.

[GiG]

Wait till Jess from Virginia reads this thread...

-Mike "he has a ladder story, I think..."

No, my story is a big honkin' king or queen mattress floating this way and that in the freeway drafts.  They are actually pretty heavy, but at 70, it just floated back and forth in the air.  I go left, it floats left, I go right, it floats right.  It was like a smart-bomb-mattress.  I faked left then went right to miss it.  (It was like being in a roadrunner cartoon.)

It would be softer to fall on than a ladder, but wiping out at freeway speeds, you wouldn't get lucky enough to actually land on it.

In my town (maybe every town), one of the most common vehicles everywhere is the white van with 2 to 20 ladders on top.  I give them wide berth. 

Somebody (or maybe I'm dreaming) has a story about a ladder in the road
that they had to hit, they just ran up the rungs and came off the other side
without crashing...

-Mike

That was JR (may he RIP), one of his CHP stories I believe.

That's funny, RJ was a  CHP and had a similar story. What a coincidence! 

[GiG]

There was a ladder across the entire lane of 75 in Cinci coming back from InZane once (2006?).
Heavy traffic, I just veered hard left to avoid, luckily did not crash into car in ajoining lane.
Riding partner veered right to avoid the ladder. Definitely a Pucker Moment!
Later, I mentioned to fellow rider how fortunate we were to be alive after swerving in heavy traffic on 75 around the ladder across the lane, and they replied: "What ladder?" 

[henry 008]

Wait till Jess from Virginia reads this thread...

-Mike "he has a ladder story, I think..."

No, my story is a big honkin' king or queen mattress floating this way and that in the freeway drafts.  They are actually pretty heavy, but at 70, it just floated back and forth in the air.  I go left, it floats left, I go right, it floats right.  It was like a smart-bomb-mattress.  I faked left then went right to miss it.  (It was like being in a roadrunner cartoon.)

It would be softer to fall on than a ladder, but wiping out at freeway speeds, you wouldn't get lucky enough to actually land on it.

In my town (maybe every town), one of the most common vehicles everywhere is the white van with 2 to 20 ladders on top.  I give them wide berth.  

Somebody (or maybe I'm dreaming) has a story about a ladder in the road
that they had to hit, they just ran up the rungs and came off the other side
without crashing...

-Mike

wasn't that Daniel? I thought I read that story in 1 of his books.

[shortleg]

   I hit something this year on the way to Inzane going into Indianapolis.
Launched me and the F6B  into the air. Lost part of my shifter and the bottom
of my left foot was number for a day or so.
   I guess it's not a good place for us bikers.

[Gavin_Sons]

   I hit something this year on the way to Inzane going into Indianapolis.
Launched me and the F6B  into the air. Lost part of my shifter and the bottom
of my left foot was number for a day or so.
   I guess it's not a good place for us bikers.

Yes, stay out of Indiana at all costs.

[Skinhead]

Wait till Jess from Virginia reads this thread...

-Mike "he has a ladder story, I think..."

No, my story is a big honkin' king or queen mattress floating this way and that in the freeway drafts.  They are actually pretty heavy, but at 70, it just floated back and forth in the air.  I go left, it floats left, I go right, it floats right.  It was like a smart-bomb-mattress.  I faked left then went right to miss it.  (It was like being in a roadrunner cartoon.)

It would be softer to fall on than a ladder, but wiping out at freeway speeds, you wouldn't get lucky enough to actually land on it.

In my town (maybe every town), one of the most common vehicles everywhere is the white van with 2 to 20 ladders on top.  I give them wide berth. 

Somebody (or maybe I'm dreaming) has a story about a ladder in the road
that they had to hit, they just ran up the rungs and came off the other side
without crashing...

-Mike

That was JR (may he RIP), one of his CHP stories I believe.

That's funny, RJ was a  CHP and had a similar story. What a coincidence! 

Lydexsics Untie!

[Dave Ritsema]

I don't know what it is about 465. This spring we went thru there after picking up my Unigo trailer in Louisville and there was a new, stainless steel oven on it's side in our lane. Still had the blue plastic covering on it. Coming home from one of the Paducah  InZanes on the very same stretch of road was a hay bail that I had to swerve to miss.

Sounds like the road crews need to pay some extra attention to that stretch of road.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I've not made it to Indiana yet in my travels. But it's stuck my mind now to stay away from Indianapolis .

[fudgie]

Only thing I get on 465 is pulled over. 

[Rams]

Was following another vehicle in OKC once, they ran over an aluminum extension ladder that I didn't see until it was too late.   Was not a pleasant situation.   They hit it, I ran over it with both the truck and trailer. parts were flying in every direction.    Blew two tires on my trailer.   Thankfully, my load was not effected but, there was one hell of a traffic jam backed up behind six or seven vehicles disabled by that one ladder.    I doubt they ever found out who's ladder it belonged to.

How many folks would actually take responsibility for such destruction.   Much less, take responsibility for someone dying due to your negligence.     

 The one thing to take from this story is, secure your load(s)............................................................

[sheets]

Similar situation eastbound on I-80 through downtown Reno in afternoon rush. Was in the #2 of three lanes of packed traffic moving at cruising speed. Looking through the windshield of cars ahead of me I see weaving brake lights and billowing smoke from screeching tires. A long aluminum extension ladder cross-ways in the #1. A couple sections of metal hand rail material in the #2 I occupy. Semi rig to my right in #3 - in panic mode to prevent jackknifing. In a do or die situation, I (2-up) manage to squeeze past to the right of the metal rail with inches to spare. I could have reached and touched the semi rig on my right. We dodged a bunch of bullets in the few second span of time. I never looked back. Took a mile or two for my heart rate to go back to normal.

39 years on the road as State highway maintenance. I could write a book about the objects and animals - of all shapes and sizes, I removed from the road. And the near miss incidents that motorists passing by never knew what they just missed. Although those civil servants who make their living on the road can't be everywhere at the same time - I can assure you they dutifully try. Our mission statement; We're here to get you there.