Tragedy in Moab (EJS 2019)

Dean

Dean

Adventurist
Founding Member
A woman was run over by a JLU Rubicon when the owner/driver lost control attempting an obstacle on Golden Spike.

She was airlifted from the scene and her leg had to be amputated.

The driver is one of those YouTubers and was being actively filmed/filming when the incident happened.

News Story from Gephardt Daily:

MOAB, Utah, April 15, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — One person was airlifted to an area hospital after a Jeep accident on the Golden Spike Trail near Moab Sunday.

A Facebook post from Grand County Search and Rescue said the patient was flown by Classic Air Medical while emergency medical services and search and rescue were still en route to the scene.

“We were en route to this incident on the difficult Golden Spike jeep trail to assist as needed,” the Facebook post said. “We rely on the workhorse of our fleet, our rangers, to get us and EMS to the scene. “Shout out to our fleet manager and his team for building these amazing vehicles. Thanks to Classic Air Medical, such a great resource for our community for successfully completing this rescue.”

The photograph below shows the vehicle officials used to get to the Jeep.

Grand County Emergency Medical Services said: “Thank you to the team at Classic Air Medical who are able to access and start patient care quickly in the Moab back country. If you have not already please watch our video on safety for Jeep Safari.”

Golden Spike Trail is a 16.3 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Moab, that is rated as difficult to navigate.

Article Link: https://gephardtdaily.com/local/per...al-after-jeep-accident-on-golden-spike-trail/

Picture of wreck:

Moab accident.jpg


Not to armchair QB the situation, but this is one of those, "Do you want public lands shut down? Because this is how you get public lands shut down" moments. Situational awareness for all parties involved could easily have prevented this tragedy as could a little bit of common sense. Not to mention mitigating the added element of people doing stupid shit for the camera.
 
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I saw this photo a number of times but had not heard any details. Thanks
 
Damnit, hate to see stuff like that. Moab isn't a DisneyLand thrill ride, there is always a chance that it's all going to go horribly wrong.
 
This is a sad story but it serves as a valuable reminder for all of us that wheeling is serious business and things can go wrong.

Heavy vehicles, mechanical issues, rough terrain, weather/visibility, varying levels of experience/skill, and random bystanders are factors that we ALL deal with when we go out on the trail.

I won't attempt to second guess anything that happened in Moab because I was not there, but I wish everyone a speedy recovery.

That said, this is a great time to talk about TRAIL SAFETY.

1. If on foot, keep something between you and any moving vehicle. Distance, a tree, a rock or another vehicle if you can. Don't get hurt for the 'Gram.

2. If you are driving and don’t feel comfortable with an obstacle, your spotter, or random bystanders getting too close then sound off. Take your time, YOU are responsible for what happens next.

3. If you are spotting, help your driver. That includes crowd control. Situational awareness and solid communication is key to being a good spotter

4. The skinny pedal is responsible for more damage to the vehicle than anything else on the vehicle. Use it sparingly.

5. Winching is dangerous. Hi-Lift jacks are too.

6. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Stop and think, analyze the obstacle, do a stuck assessment if needed, and THINK. Maybe have a cup of coffee or make a sandwich. Shoot holes in any and all options to select the best plan.

7. THEN, and only then, when you have calmly assessed all potential outcomes, should you proceed. Because smooth really is faster.

Some more photos, pretty sad to see but we should all learn from this accident.

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Someone on Reddit posted a Google maps of the exact location which actually helps a lot to understand the terrain and what could have happened.

It appears the place that he high centered (if that's what happened) was approximately 55 feet from the final crash. 50 feet can be covered VERY quickly from a vehicle that breaks free, and it's quite likely the injured woman was just standing around enjoying the spectacle.

Anyway, check out the mockups made by a guy named zeech online which will help to make some more sense of the situation. This was likely a freak accident and a good reminder that everyone, drivers and spectators need to be vigilant and aware at all times.

crash1.jpg


crash2.jpg
 
:dunno I'm looking at those picture (thinking that was a nice Jeep) and still don't see how that occurred.

Well Dave just posted that aerial- I guess she was dumb enough to stand in front of the Jeep as he gunned it to get it off a high center? And yeah, this is how areas get closed to vehicles. Hope the lady recovers though.
 
One of my questions is, why was the driver off the route?As @Dave stated, cannot know without seeing what happened. The woman may not have been in front. Many questions, many possibilities, but in the end, the woman's life is painfully, dramatically, permanently altered.
 
Kevin LaCroix said:
One of my questions is, why was the driver off the route?As @Dave stated, cannot know without seeing what happened. The woman may not have been in front. Many questions, many possibilities, but in the end, the woman's life is painfully, dramatically, permanently altered.
Click to expand...

Yes, so many questions. One thing is for sure, it was a very bad day for everyone involved.
 
Definitely tragic and hope she has speedy recovery. Bummer for both parties. Anything can happen anywhere at anytime. Responsibility is key.
 
Definitely an unfortunate situation. As said above hopefully we can all learn from this.

I wonder how the Wrangler will be extracted..it doesn’t look driveable.
 
The "mob mentality"... when you think you can't back out of something that is over your skill level...may have been a contributing factor.

It should be considered a learning lesson/reminder for the rest of us One of my old time mentors taught me to never coerce another driver into attempting an obstacle that they aren't comfortable with. If there is no bypass and the driver doesn't want to try it, I'll turn around and lead them out. If they want a spot, need a strap or winch line for peace of mind, I'll do whatever I need to do short of getting in the driver seat of their vehicle. I did that ONCE, damn near rolled the guys Wrangler... I knew I was stupid as soon as I got in the drivers seat, but did it anyway. Machelle was able to get our Jeep in position to get a winch line on us and get me out of the predicament I found myself in.

I was left behind on a trail run on one occasion when I was a novice in the sport. It was one of the larger clubs in the SAN DIEGO 4x4 area that left Machelle and I on our own. Not only the group that I was with, but later while trying to fix my junk, another group from the same club, on a different run, passed us without even slowing down to ask me if I needed help. I was so pissed by then that I probably wouldn't have been worth trying to help.:mad: Finally a dude on a dirt bike (motorcycle) stopped, gave me a ride back to camp where I got my tow rig and trailer, went back and got my Jeep, broke camp, and got the hell out of Dodge.

I promised myself that day that I would never leave anyone behind on a trail run. I've come to enjoy being the tail gunner/sweeper on trail runs. I eat a little more dust along the way, but what the hell, someone has to do it. I also developed a nasty dislike for most "clubs", the cliques, desire to be "in charge" and tell people what they can and can't do, and general one-upedness (just made that up) was NOT the reason I enjoy 4 wheeling. I much preferred wheeling with a few friends that I could trust to help me out if/when I got in over my head and they new they could trust me in return. To this day I've never had an interest in joining an off road club.
 
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