JCB wheel digger brakes fail

[kigg]

wet roads and no brakes cant be good

[Martyn Henley]

I remember seeing this on the main news a year or so back,it was in Bristol, and sad to say the operator lost his life

Martyn

[d4c24a]

would be interested to know if the machine was in 4 wheel braking mode , as from experience they stop on a sixpence
but in rear braking only with a set of buckets in the front on a wet hill ,would be a different matter as i have found out in a 2wd MF50 h
sad loss of life

[Martyn Henley]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23488569-jcb-driver-killed-after-digger-plunges-50ft-down-cliff-onto-busy-road.do

It seems the driver rounded the bend to be confronted with a traffic queue, and to avoid the cars he slammed over the cliff top ... read on
This was quoted from the daily telegraph, july 2009

JCB digger driver Michael Meehan has been hailed a hero for swerving to avoid other cars after his vehicle went out of control and crashed over a cliff top, an inquest heard.


Motorists described seeing boulders and rocks crash down onto the A4 Portway road, Bristol, before watching the yellow JCB plummet with driver, Michael Meehan, sitting helpless in the cab.

Mr Meehan, 53, died instantly after the JCB landed on its roof following the crash on May 28 last year.



The father of four had been driving at around 25mph in heavy rain down the steep Bridge Valley Road. He rounded a bend to see stationary traffic, but couldn't brake in time, so swerved to avoid the cars and lowered the digger's bucket to the road to slow it down.

But the steering locked and Mr Meehan lost control as the vehicle crossed onto the opposite carriageway, mounted the kerb and smashed through a wall before careering over the 70ft cliff onto the Portway dual carriageway below.

Coroner Brian Whitehouse, sitting at Flax Bourton Coroner's Court, today praised Mr Meehan, from Filton, south Gloucestershire, for his quick thinking.

He recorded a verdict of accidental death and said it was miraculous that no one else had been hurt in the accident.

Geoffrey Woodland was travelling behind Mr Meehan along Bridge Valley Road when he saw the seven and a half tonne JCB turn and drift across the road.

In a statement read to the court, he said he thought the wall would halt the vehicle.

He said: "I would describe his actions as heroic, he was considering the other road users and using all his skill to avoid a collision."

An inspection of the digger found no faults with the steering or braking.

After the hearing, his wife Jenny said: "He was a brilliant husband, he was a really hard working man and he worked six to seven days a week to look after us.

"He died a hero because he saved other people, he could have taken other people out as well."

Martyn

[Robert Guy]

Very very sad loss of life . Thoughts go out to family .They must be proud of the fact that he was able to miss other cars.