Texas officer burned when Crown Victoria patrol car is hit by SUV

TechnoKid

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2001
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interesting that even teh factory installed shield didn't prevent fire? serious design flaw that a shield is just a bandaid for?

sorry for the officer though....
 

VirginiaDonkey

Golden Member
May 18, 2001
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I can't think of many cars that won't catch fire after being rear-ended at 60mph.

The Crown Vics get all the publicity because thats pretty much the main car used in highway patrol
 

?It?s not the vehicle. It?s the nature of the work that police do.?
I agree completely. Most other vehicles wouldn't survive a hit from behind at 60 mph without bursting into flames, it's just that it happens relatively frequently with Crown Vics.
 

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
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Originally posted by: VirginiaDonkey
I can't think of many cars that won't catch fire after being rear-ended at 60mph.

The Crown Vics get all the publicity because thats pretty much the main car used in highway patrol

Seriously....that's where the gas tank is, and it's hard to keep it intact in a 60 MPH collision.

I think that drunk driving should = no more license, EVER though.
 

NFS4

No Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
72,636
47
91
Originally posted by: jumpr
?It?s not the vehicle. It?s the nature of the work that police do.?
I agree completely. Most other vehicles wouldn't survive a hit from behind at 60 mph without bursting into flames, it's just that it happens relatively frequently with Crown Vics.

Depends on where the fuel tank is located...

In most cars, the fuel tank is located here.

In the Crown Vic, it is located behind the rear axle. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.
 

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Originally posted by: NFS4

Depends on where the fuel tank is located...

In most cars, the fuel tank is located here.

most of the cars I've peeked under have the fuel tank behind the rear axle...
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
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Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: jumpr
?It?s not the vehicle. It?s the nature of the work that police do.?
I agree completely. Most other vehicles wouldn't survive a hit from behind at 60 mph without bursting into flames, it's just that it happens relatively frequently with Crown Vics.

Depends on where the fuel tank is located...

In most cars, the fuel tank is located here.

In the Crown Vic, it is located behind the rear axle. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

Didn't Ford learn from the Pinto?
 

DWW

Platinum Member
Apr 4, 2003
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Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: VirginiaDonkey
I can't think of many cars that won't catch fire after being rear-ended at 60mph.

The Crown Vics get all the publicity because thats pretty much the main car used in highway patrol

Seriously....that's where the gas tank is, and it's hard to keep it intact in a 60 MPH collision.

I think that drunk driving should = no more license, EVER though.

Drunk driving should be considered attempted manslaughter.
 

Jmman

Diamond Member
Dec 17, 1999
5,302
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I am shocked that someone hasn't shown up to comment on how SUV's should be outlawed, etc...........
 

pennylane

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2002
6,077
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Originally posted by: Jmman
I am shocked that someone hasn't shown up to comment on how SUV's should be outlawed, etc...........

SUVs should be outlawed, etc...........
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
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Originally posted by: DWW
Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: VirginiaDonkey
I can't think of many cars that won't catch fire after being rear-ended at 60mph.

The Crown Vics get all the publicity because thats pretty much the main car used in highway patrol

Seriously....that's where the gas tank is, and it's hard to keep it intact in a 60 MPH collision.

I think that drunk driving should = no more license, EVER though.

Drunk driving should be considered attempted manslaughter.

Haha... That doesn't make any sense. Manslaughter is killing someone without intent to do so. So then, attempted manslaughter would be attempting to kill someone without intending to do so? But attempting to do something implies intent to do it. :)

I do agree with you that the penalties for drunk driving should be MUCH higher, but they should be based on the level of drunkenness. .08 can hardly be considered drunk, so I think it would be a bit extreme to throw people in jail when they've only had 3 beers in an hour.
 

Babbles

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2001
8,253
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I live in Arlington, well okay now staying with my woman in Ft. Worth near where that happened. Anyhow, the city of Dallas has had many incidents with patrol cars catching on fire. I think a few Dallas Police Officers have died as a result of it, I know one for sure but I thought it was a couple.

As is my understanding this problem is quite prevalent with the Crown Vics. Apparanty the Caprice, probably the 'best' patrol car ever never had those issues. Well at least not to the extreme as the Crown Vic.

Police Officers already put their lives on the line, but to have to worry about their car exploding around them is pretty bizarre.
 

OrganizedChaos

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2002
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Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: jumpr
?It?s not the vehicle. It?s the nature of the work that police do.?
I agree completely. Most other vehicles wouldn't survive a hit from behind at 60 mph without bursting into flames, it's just that it happens relatively frequently with Crown Vics.

Depends on where the fuel tank is located...

In most cars, the fuel tank is located here.

In the Crown Vic, it is located behind the rear axle. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

taurus is front wheel drive, CV is rear wheel drive. the prospect of drilling a hole in the gas tank to make room for the driveshaft dosen't sound very apealing.
 

AaronB

Golden Member
Dec 25, 2002
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I remember reading that Ford put the fuel tank there because it was protected by the wheels from side impacts. According to them if the tank were ahead of the wheels it was far more likely to be ruptured in moderate side impacts as opposed to the severe rear impacts that are causing these problems now.

These were Fords words btw, not mine. Personally it seems to me that in this type of duty (police stopped on the side of the road) a rear impact is the greater concern but I'm not an engineer.
 

RagingBITCH

Lifer
Sep 27, 2003
17,618
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Originally posted by: Babbles
I live in Arlington, well okay now staying with my woman in Ft. Worth near where that happened. Anyhow, the city of Dallas has had many incidents with patrol cars catching on fire. I think a few Dallas Police Officers have died as a result of it, I know one for sure but I thought it was a couple.

As is my understanding this problem is quite prevalent with the Crown Vics. Apparanty the Caprice, probably the 'best' patrol car ever never had those issues. Well at least not to the extreme as the Crown Vic.

Police Officers already put their lives on the line, but to have to worry about their car exploding around them is pretty bizarre.

Because the numbers of Crown Vics compared to Caprices was lopsided. When Caprices were "popular" with police forces, they made up approximately less than 10% of the number of police cars on the road. Hell no one ever even heard of Crown Vics having this problem up until about 2 years ago - the media chose to put the problem in the spotlight.
 

Gurck

Banned
Mar 16, 2004
12,963
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Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: VirginiaDonkey
I can't think of many cars that won't catch fire after being rear-ended at 60mph.

The Crown Vics get all the publicity because thats pretty much the main car used in highway patrol

Seriously....that's where the gas tank is, and it's hard to keep it intact in a 60 MPH collision.

I think that drunk driving should = no more license, EVER though.

I'm up for giving them one chance. A hefty fine would do the trick - money talks. After that, I'm with you though. I'm also up for doing away with this pansy manslaughter / attempted manslaughter sh*t when someone dies or is injured as a result of a drunk driver. I see the afterlife as a pipe dream, and find it disgusting that someone can permanently end another's existence and go on with their own life after, at most, a few years in prison.
 

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
15,581
1
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Originally posted by: NFS4
Depends on where the fuel tank is located...

In most cars, the fuel tank is located here.

In the Crown Vic, it is located behind the rear axle. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

I wonder where is Ornery to defend how safe and solid the crown vic is.
 

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
15,581
1
76
Originally posted by: OrganizedChaos
Originally posted by: OS
Originally posted by: NFS4
Depends on where the fuel tank is located...

In most cars, the fuel tank is located here.

In the Crown Vic, it is located behind the rear axle. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

I wonder where is Ornery to defend how safe and solid the crown vic is.

it really is though, those things are tanks

Regardless, that's one big ass achille's heel considering how common getting rear ended is.
 

OrganizedChaos

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2002
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Originally posted by: OS
Originally posted by: OrganizedChaos
Originally posted by: OS
Originally posted by: NFS4
Depends on where the fuel tank is located...

In most cars, the fuel tank is located here.

In the Crown Vic, it is located behind the rear axle. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

I wonder where is Ornery to defend how safe and solid the crown vic is.

it really is though, those things are tanks

Regardless, that's one big ass achille's heel considering how common getting rear ended is.

ok, where would you suggest putting it?
 

LordMorpheus

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2002
6,871
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Any car that gets rear ended at highway speeds is meat.

I bet that the officer would be dead had he been in a car like a civic, even if nothing caught on fire. I would opt for the crown vic over just about every other sedan for safety. Maybe I'd beef up the rear bumpers if I was going to spend lots of time parked on the side of the highway . . . .
 

MacBaine

Banned
Aug 23, 2001
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Originally posted by: OS
Originally posted by: OrganizedChaos
Originally posted by: OS
Originally posted by: NFS4
Depends on where the fuel tank is located...

In most cars, the fuel tank is located here.

In the Crown Vic, it is located behind the rear axle. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

I wonder where is Ornery to defend how safe and solid the crown vic is.

it really is though, those things are tanks

Regardless, that's one big ass achille's heel considering how common getting rear ended is.


If you read the article, you'd see that the number of rear end collisions compared to the actual number of exploding incidents, and officer death, is very low. Again, it's just being inflated by the media, as usual.