Cardinals Pitcher Josh Hancock Dies in Car Crash

[Soul]

The tow truck was parked in the left lane of the highway casue there was another accident there before and the tow truck was blocking the other car in the earlier accident until the cops got there to block it off.

 

I heard one report say the tow truck was in the left lane, and then I heard another say it was on the shoulder. But then if there aren't any shoulders it can't be true I guess.

 

Anyway, my understanding is if you block a traffic lane on a highway you must put cones or flares out immediately. Maybe that's not the case in Missouri?

 

I can't imagine traveling 70 MPH and realizing too late someone is blocking the lane. Seems way to dangerous to me -- but then again, I don't know the facts about what really happened here.

[kujay]

The following is from today's Post-Dispatch.

 

Although the accident occurred not far from the Fox Theatre, Hancock was not among a number of teammates who attended the Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center benefit Saturday night at the theater.

 

Hancock instead dined with a group of friends at Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafood after Saturday's game and told the manager that he was headed to the Westin Hotel three blocks away.

 

"I personally called the police chief and told him everything I know about last night," said Pat Shannon, manager at the restaurant operated by her father, Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon.

 

Hancock, Pat Shannon said, declined an offer for a cab. Shannon declined to say if Hancock consumed alcohol at the restaurant, instead referring the question to police.

[Abe Frohman]

The following is from today's Post-Dispatch.

Hancock, Pat Shannon said, declined an offer for a cab. Shannon declined to say if Hancock consumed alcohol at the restaurant, instead referring the question to police.

 

Well, that is terrible.

[radarluv1]

The tow truck was parked in the left lane of the highway casue there was another accident there before and the tow truck was blocking the other car in the earlier accident until the cops got there to block it off.

 

I heard one report say the tow truck was in the left lane, and then I heard another say it was on the shoulder. But then if there aren't any shoulders it can't be true I guess.

 

Anyway, my understanding is if you block a traffic lane on a highway you must put cones or flares out immediately. Maybe that's not the case in Missouri?

 

I can't imagine traveling 70 MPH and realizing too late someone is blocking the lane. Seems way to dangerous to me -- but then again, I don't know the facts about what really happened here.

 

the radio reports (KMOX) i've heard have always said the truck was in the left lane, but i believe the stalled car was also in the left lane. i guess a truck with flashing lights is better than a stalled car with no lights. maybe the driver didnt have time to set up the other safety/warning items. iirc 40 curves a little to the right at that point right before the grand exit going west, so an obstruction in the left lane would be shielded a bit to west bound drivers.

[Guest]

The tow truck was parked in the left lane of the highway casue there was another accident there before and the tow truck was blocking the other car in the earlier accident until the cops got there to block it off.

 

I heard one report say the tow truck was in the left lane, and then I heard another say it was on the shoulder. But then if there aren't any shoulders it can't be true I guess.

 

Anyway, my understanding is if you block a traffic lane on a highway you must put cones or flares out immediately. Maybe that's not the case in Missouri?

 

I can't imagine traveling 70 MPH and realizing too late someone is blocking the lane. Seems way to dangerous to me -- but then again, I don't know the facts about what really happened here.

 

the radio reports (KMOX) i've heard have always said the truck was in the left lane, but i believe the stalled car was also in the left lane. i guess a truck with flashing lights is better than a stalled car with no lights. maybe the driver didnt have time to set up the other safety/warning items. iirc 40 curves a little to the right at that point right before the grand exit going west, so an obstruction in the left lane would be shielded a bit to west bound drivers.

 

This seems to be the only logical explanation - the police just hadn't arrived yet. Very dangerous situation obviously.

[jersey cubs fan]

The tow truck was parked in the left lane of the highway casue there was another accident there before and the tow truck was blocking the other car in the earlier accident until the cops got there to block it off.

 

I heard one report say the tow truck was in the left lane, and then I heard another say it was on the shoulder. But then if there aren't any shoulders it can't be true I guess.

 

Anyway, my understanding is if you block a traffic lane on a highway you must put cones or flares out immediately. Maybe that's not the case in Missouri?

 

I can't imagine traveling 70 MPH and realizing too late someone is blocking the lane. Seems way to dangerous to me -- but then again, I don't know the facts about what really happened here.

 

the radio reports (KMOX) i've heard have always said the truck was in the left lane, but i believe the stalled car was also in the left lane. i guess a truck with flashing lights is better than a stalled car with no lights. maybe the driver didnt have time to set up the other safety/warning items. iirc 40 curves a little to the right at that point right before the grand exit going west, so an obstruction in the left lane would be shielded a bit to west bound drivers.

 

This seems to be the only logical explanation - the police just hadn't arrived yet. Very dangerous situation obviously.

 

How does a tow truck arrive before police? Was he just roaming that stretch of land anticipating accidents?

[Soul]

The following is from today's Post-Dispatch.

Hancock, Pat Shannon said, declined an offer for a cab. Shannon declined to say if Hancock consumed alcohol at the restaurant, instead referring the question to police.

 

Well, that is terrible.

 

Ack, I'm going to just wait for test reports before going down this road.

[mjohnson71]

The tow truck was parked in the left lane of the highway casue there was another accident there before and the tow truck was blocking the other car in the earlier accident until the cops got there to block it off.

 

I heard one report say the tow truck was in the left lane, and then I heard another say it was on the shoulder. But then if there aren't any shoulders it can't be true I guess.

 

Anyway, my understanding is if you block a traffic lane on a highway you must put cones or flares out immediately. Maybe that's not the case in Missouri?

 

I can't imagine traveling 70 MPH and realizing too late someone is blocking the lane. Seems way to dangerous to me -- but then again, I don't know the facts about what really happened here.

 

the radio reports (KMOX) i've heard have always said the truck was in the left lane, but i believe the stalled car was also in the left lane. i guess a truck with flashing lights is better than a stalled car with no lights. maybe the driver didnt have time to set up the other safety/warning items. iirc 40 curves a little to the right at that point right before the grand exit going west, so an obstruction in the left lane would be shielded a bit to west bound drivers.

 

This seems to be the only logical explanation - the police just hadn't arrived yet. Very dangerous situation obviously.

 

How does a tow truck arrive before police? Was he just roaming that stretch of land anticipating accidents?

 

I think the Poplar Street Bridge is patrolled 24/7 by a combination of IDOT, MODOT and private tow trucks. There are signs on some of the ramps saying make every effort to move vehicle from traffic lanes and if you can't to remain with the vehicle.

[radarluv1]

The tow truck was parked in the left lane of the highway casue there was another accident there before and the tow truck was blocking the other car in the earlier accident until the cops got there to block it off.

 

I heard one report say the tow truck was in the left lane, and then I heard another say it was on the shoulder. But then if there aren't any shoulders it can't be true I guess.

 

Anyway, my understanding is if you block a traffic lane on a highway you must put cones or flares out immediately. Maybe that's not the case in Missouri?

 

I can't imagine traveling 70 MPH and realizing too late someone is blocking the lane. Seems way to dangerous to me -- but then again, I don't know the facts about what really happened here.

 

the radio reports (KMOX) i've heard have always said the truck was in the left lane, but i believe the stalled car was also in the left lane. i guess a truck with flashing lights is better than a stalled car with no lights. maybe the driver didnt have time to set up the other safety/warning items. iirc 40 curves a little to the right at that point right before the grand exit going west, so an obstruction in the left lane would be shielded a bit to west bound drivers.

 

This seems to be the only logical explanation - the police just hadn't arrived yet. Very dangerous situation obviously.

 

How does a tow truck arrive before police? Was he just roaming that stretch of land anticipating accidents?

thats the part that doesnt make sense. but the truck was behind the stalled vehicle, not where it needs to be to set up a tow. the guy on the radio said it pulled up behind the stalled vehicle to shield it from traffic, which makes me think he was early and just waiting on patrol car or whatever.

[imb]

I don't want to assume too much here, but I worked at a restaurant in the past for a couple years, and not once did we ever offer a cab ride for someone that hadn't been drinking.

 

It's going to be an odd turn of events if he was drinking and driving.

[mjohnson71]

The tow truck was parked in the left lane of the highway casue there was another accident there before and the tow truck was blocking the other car in the earlier accident until the cops got there to block it off.

 

I heard one report say the tow truck was in the left lane, and then I heard another say it was on the shoulder. But then if there aren't any shoulders it can't be true I guess.

 

Anyway, my understanding is if you block a traffic lane on a highway you must put cones or flares out immediately. Maybe that's not the case in Missouri?

 

I can't imagine traveling 70 MPH and realizing too late someone is blocking the lane. Seems way to dangerous to me -- but then again, I don't know the facts about what really happened here.

 

the radio reports (KMOX) i've heard have always said the truck was in the left lane, but i believe the stalled car was also in the left lane. i guess a truck with flashing lights is better than a stalled car with no lights. maybe the driver didnt have time to set up the other safety/warning items. iirc 40 curves a little to the right at that point right before the grand exit going west, so an obstruction in the left lane would be shielded a bit to west bound drivers.

 

This seems to be the only logical explanation - the police just hadn't arrived yet. Very dangerous situation obviously.

 

How does a tow truck arrive before police? Was he just roaming that stretch of land anticipating accidents?

thats the part that doesnt make sense. but the truck was behind the stalled vehicle, not where it needs to be to set up a tow. the guy on the radio said it pulled up behind the stalled vehicle to shield it from traffic, which makes me think he was early and just waiting on patrol car or whatever.

 

Isn't the St. Louis police HQ on Clark right by the highway? If you walk from Union Station to Busch Stadium it's about halway during the walk so they wouldn't be far away.

 

I also noticed there are no Dunkin Donuts in St. Louis so their cops might actually be out patrolling. :wink: (Plus all the Wendy's are closed: weird city.)

[reggiemiller rules]

Here is a nice youtube dedication to Hancock with a bunch of photos and stuff done by a cubs fan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFA1Sgu_hRU

[Abe Frohman]

The following is from today's Post-Dispatch.

Hancock, Pat Shannon said, declined an offer for a cab. Shannon declined to say if Hancock consumed alcohol at the restaurant, instead referring the question to police.

 

Well, that is terrible.

 

Ack, I'm going to just wait for test reports before going down this road.

 

Let me clarify: I think it is terrible that such sensitive information was the dig of that statement. I am with you - mourn now, speculate later (if ever).

[BigbadB]

After reading how this happened, it hit pretty close to home. I had a business trip in Las Vegas last week, and on my way there, I just about lost it into the back end of a Cal Trans pick up truck.

 

Minding my own business in the fast lane (4 lanes wide each direction in this stretch of interstate) with a car pacing next to me, I see Cal Trans working in the median up ahead of me. I slow down from 80 MPH to about 70 MPH since they are well off the shoulder. The car next to me keeps the same pace. All of a sudden and within about 500 ft., the Cal Trans truck shoots up out of the median and right into the fast lane in front of me. I had nowhere to go. To the left were about 10 Cal Trans workers. To my right was this car that was still right next to me. In front of me was a truck that was hardly moving.

 

I lit up my brakes and just missed this truck by inches. My wife's face was white as a ghost. She thought for sure we were dead. Luckily, no one was behind me. Good thing I just bought new tires for the car a few weeks back. Older tires might have slid.

 

Anyway, I'm still here. Barely. I guess it was my lucky day. I survived what could have been an ugly crash and hit a royal flush on a poker machine later that night.

[Soul]

I also noticed there are no Dunkin Donuts in St. Louis so their cops might actually be out patrolling. :wink: (Plus all the Wendy's are closed: weird city.)

 

Eh? That's un-American.

[Mizzou]

I've been hearing that he was at Mike Shannon's (a bar) that night, and was encouraged by a bartender there to take a cab home. I don't know how drunk he was, but sadly it sounds like he was drunk when this happened (at least according to a couple people I work with).

[cubfan1955]

The speed limit there is 55 mph. If you drive at that speed though you'll most likely get run over. It's hard telling how fast he was going at that time of the day. (12:30 am)

[kujay]

I also noticed there are no Dunkin Donuts in St. Louis so their cops might actually be out patrolling. :wink: (Plus all the Wendy's are closed: weird city.)

 

Eh? That's un-American.

 

Un-American and unfathomable. But true.

 

Wendy's was a different deal. The guy who owned all of them around here stopped paying his taxes or something and they all shut down.

 

Back to the point, I'm not speculating. I posted a link that had comments from the woman who offered to call a cab for him. Direct knowledge.

 

But I will speculate that if she had not seen him drinking, she would have said "no" rather than referring the question to the police.

[nick23]

I don't want to assume too much here, but I worked at a restaurant in the past for a couple years, and not once did we ever offer a cab ride for someone that hadn't been drinking.

 

It's going to be an odd turn of events if he was drinking and driving.

 

I say who cares if he was drinking or not. It's very tragic and very sad regardless.

[kujay]

The speed limit there is 55 mph. If you drive at that speed though you'll most likely get run over. It's hard telling how fast he was going at that time of the day. (12:30 am)

 

That's true. I find 80 around there is typically the pace.

[reggiemiller rules]

I've been hearing that he was at Mike Shannon's (a bar) that night, and was encouraged by a bartender there to take a cab home. I don't know how drunk he was, but sadly it sounds like he was drunk when this happened (at least according to a couple people I work with).

 

I have heard the same thing that he was there with a couple other Cards players drinking and doing shots.

[Soul]

The speed limit there is 55 mph. If you drive at that speed though you'll most likely get run over. It's hard telling how fast he was going at that time of the day. (12:30 am)

 

One time there was a very similar situation on the freeway between Milwaukee and Madison that I ran in to.

 

I was fully sober, the weather wasn't all that great (rainy), and a tow truck had just pulled up in the left lane to move someone off the road. I almost smashed into someone -- not the tow truck, mind you, but all the other cars in the left lane that were waiting to merge back into the right lane because they had to stop quickly for the tow truck. I actually made the stop with plenty of distance to spare, but the feeling was pretty bad. I had not expected stopped vehicles so suddenly when everyone was doing 75 MPH seconds before.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't want to assume too much here, but I worked at a restaurant in the past for a couple years, and not once did we ever offer a cab ride for someone that hadn't been drinking.

 

It's going to be an odd turn of events if he was drinking and driving.

 

I say who cares if he was drinking or not. It's very tragic and very sad regardless.

 

It is very sad and tragic regardless. But it's important to acknowledge the drinking and driving, if, in fact, he was drinking and driving. So, I would say everybody should care. It's an ongoing national problem that people can solve on their own with an ounce of common sense. It's nothing but stupidity that fails to prevent such tragedies. I see no reason why people can't speculate about the circumstances, considering what happened and what has emerged so far.

[imb]

I don't want to assume too much here, but I worked at a restaurant in the past for a couple years, and not once did we ever offer a cab ride for someone that hadn't been drinking.

 

It's going to be an odd turn of events if he was drinking and driving.

 

I say who cares if he was drinking or not. It's very tragic and very sad regardless.

 

It is very sad and tragic regardless. But it's important to acknowledge the drinking and driving, if, in fact, he was drinking and driving. So, I would say everybody should care. It's an ongoing national problem that people can solve on their own with an ounce of common sense. It's nothing but stupidity that fails to prevent such tragedies. I see no reason why people can't speculate about the circumstances, considering what happened and what has emerged so far.

 

Seriously. Obviously we don't know anything for sure at the moment, but imagine if the tow truck hadn't been there to act as a buffer and he ran into a parked car. Things would have been a lot worse, and if he was drinking, I doubt there would be so much heart break.

[CardsFanInChiTown]

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070429/capt.be6592d2b9c64c5aa4514e1983695594.cardinals_hancock_killed_baseball_motg111.jpg