School’s field trip to a Box Elder farm ends in a crash, killing eight

Vehicular accidents accounted for nearly 43,000 deaths in 2001…another 2.3 million people received disabling injuries. They are the leading cause of death from unintentional injury for every age group under 18 except 1-year-olds, accounting for 47% of the nearly 6,500 accidental deaths suffered by children under legal driving age. Those children died not because they were adventuresome, or inattentive, or foolish, but because someone else made a mistake behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. The goal of this “Alert” program is to provide teaching points derived from recent YMCA-related incidents to prevent similar events. Each will begin with the article (omitting any name or identifying references to a YMCA, if involved). As always, if you need additional guidance on this topic, please call us at 800-463-8546.

“School’s field trip to a Box Elder farm ends in a crash, killing eight”

TREMONTON - A Utah State University field trip to a Box Elder County farm ended in tragedy Monday afternoon when a van carrying the students blew a tire on Interstate 84 and rolled four times down an embankment, throwing all 11 on board from the van and killing eight.

The driver, Evan P. Parker, 45, of Hooper along with Steven D. Bair, 24, of Moses Lake, Wash., Curt A. Madsen, 23, of Payson, Ryan W. McEntire, 22, of West Point, Bradley G. Wilcox, 26, of Salt Lake City and Justin W. Gunnell, 24, of Providence were pronounced dead by emergency crews when they arrived at the crash site about seven miles west of Tremonton.

Dusty D. Fuhriman, 22, of Tremonton later died at Bear River Hospital in Tremonton. Jonathan D. Jorgensen, 22, of Hyrum died after being flown to University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.

Three of the students remained in critical condition Monday night. Robert H. Petersen, 21, of Tremonton and Justin C. Huggins, 21, of Bear River were being treated at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden and Jared P. Nelson, 22, of Provo was sent to Ogden Regional Medical Center, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.

Police used witness descriptions of the accident and skid marks to ascertain how the van left the road. It appeared the van was speeding when the left rear tire blew, Nelson said. It was not clear how far above the posted 75 mph limit the van was traveling, he said.

A motorist who was following the van said pieces of tire flew from the van before it veered off the road and rolled. “It looked like bodies were being catapulted out,” Nelson said.

Rescuers found the bodies of the dead and the survivors in the tall grass within about 100 feet of the van.

Nelson said the students had been on a field trip to a farm west of Tremonton. They learned about farm equipment and were returning to the USU campus in Logan just before 4 p.m. on the sunny, clear afternoon.

One of the injured was coherent when rescued and was able to provide a limited amount of information, said Trooper Christopher Witte.

Nelson said there would have been severe injuries even if the driver and passengers were belted. “But I have no doubt there would have been more that survived.”

The tragedy is compounded by the fact that the students from the USU College of Agriculture are celebrating “Ag Week” beginning Monday, said USU President Stan Albrecht.

“This was a group of students on a beautiful fall day…returning from a field trip in western Box Elder County [Tremonton],” Albrecht said in his office Monday night. “In this university that prides itself on providing a family atmosphere, we certainly extend our love to the spouses and families.”

USU officials weren't certain of who was driving the vehicle but Albrecht said the van had undergone a full safety inspection at the end of June when it was found to be in compliance with all requirements. Once the identity of the driver is known, university officials will be able to determine whether the driver completed the university's driver safety program that was implemented after a 15-passenger van accident in 2001.

Six members of the then-10th-ranked USU men's volleyball team were involved in a Dodge van rollover on April 11, 2001, near Laramie, Wyo., en route to a competition in Kansas City. Greg Jorgenson, a USU senior at the time, was seriously injured when the student-driven vehicle was caught in a storm that swept through the Plains, Colorado and Wyoming.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol reportedly received reports of 55 accidents during that storm, but Trooper Adam Zukowski said the USU vehicle's speed was more of a factor than the weather.

USU officials responded on April 26, 2001, to the accident by implementing a new van policy sanctioned by the National Highway Safety Board.

All USU van drivers - students and university employees - have since been required to attend a one-day driver training program provided by the Bridgerland Applied Technology College featuring four hours of classroom time and four hours of “behind the wheel” practical instruction.

“The University has adopted a policy that all those who drive 15-passenger vans must have either a Utah State University Van Certificate or a valid Commercial Drivers License,” according to USU Policy 514.1, Use of University Vehicles.

Although this is not the first 15-passenger van accident USU officials have had to deal with, it is the worst, according to spokesman John DeVilbiss.

“I think we're all reeling, stunned,” DeVilbiss said Monday night in the president's office. “Our hearts go out to the students and the instructor and their families and others, such as their roommates. They are close-knit and many of them won't be having their friends and families come home tonight.”

What we should already know about 12- and 15-passenger vans:

• Drivers of 15-passenger vans should be specifically trained for such vehicles and should be experienced in driving them according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
• The risk of vehicular rollover in this type of vehicle dramatically increases as the occupant count increases. A 15-passenger van with 10 or more occupants is three times more susceptible to rollover than a lightly loaded one cautions the NHTSA.
• The risk of rollover in a 15-passenger van increases significantly at speeds over 50 mph warns the NHTSA…five times more likely than for vans traveling at reduced speeds.
• The wearing of seat belts is required by law…not wearing them increases the chance of fatal injury in case of a collision. NHTSA statistics show that nearly 80% of those who have died in 15-passenger vans nationwide were not wearing their seat belts.
• Tires are a weak component in general, but especially in this type of vehicle…improper inflation adversely affects handling and increases the potential for rollover.
• 12- and 15-passenger vans are descended from cargo vehicles…they do not have the protective passenger compartment cage that is found to varying degrees in passenger vehicles.

What we know about this incident:

(much learned through articles not cited above…note that the ninth victim died at the hospital after the cited article was printed)

• The driver of this vehicle had been excused from the university’s requirement to complete its 15-passenger van training as he had a commercial driver’s license (even though such training does not address this genre of vehicle because a CDL is not required to operate one).
• The vehicle had 11 adult occupants.
• The vehicle was traveling in excess of the posted 75 mph speed limit according to witnesses and subsequent skid analysis
• All of the occupants of the van were ejected during the crash. None were apparently wearing their seat belts as none reportedly had injuries consistent with seat belt trauma.
• The start of the incident was the blowout of the left rear tire…it was five years old and had 16,000 miles on it. No comments were made about its specific condition or inflation.
• The van’s passenger compartment was crushed…so badly that even seat belts may have proven ineffectual.

What we should learn from this incident:

• Training is necessary. Don’t waive it for any reason. Make certain it goes beyond classroom exercises to include extensive hands-on exposure. However, though training is important, in this type of vehicle experience is critical. In an emergency situation drivers will revert to reflex, not training…habitual responses will overpower learned behavior. If those responses are not appropriate for this type of vehicle, tragedy will probably result.
• Overloading these vehicles often kills…keep occupant count at ten or below; remove seats to ensure that more occupants cannot be carried; don’t store heavy cargo behind the rear axle…fill the area with permanently installed empty boxes if necessary; remove any trailer hitch or cargo racks.
• Restrict speed to 45 mph maximum…keep the vehicle off of limited access highways as its reduced speed will create a hazard in that environment. Installation of a vehicle speed monitor may help to control drivers where their supervisor cannot directly watch them.
• Seat belt utilization should be strictly enforced…it’s not just a good idea – it’s the law. Failure to enforce the law might be construed in the courts as negligent behavior.
• Tire condition and inflation is critical. Make certain tires are inspected before every trip.
• As soon as you can, quit using this type of vehicle as its basic design is not conducive for passenger safety. Replace them with mini school buses that have dual rear wheels and that meet the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Standards 220, 221, and 222 for rollover protection, body joint strength, passenger seating and crash protection respectively, or with vehicles that are designed for passenger conveyance such as minivans or passenger cars.

This incident is a classic example of what not to do. Don’t set your driver up for failure. Don’t expose your passengers to unnecessary danger. Establish your protocols and stringently enforce them.

Please call us at 800-463-8546 to discuss this or any other risk management safety tip, or visit our web site at www.redwoodsgroup.com to learn more about YMCA risk management issues.

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