Bob Rosadini Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Well following the devastating October snow storm that left many Massachusetts communities without power for a week, our Lt. Governor Tim Murray left his home "before 5 AM" to inspect storm damage. At approximately 0530, while traveling on I-190, the Gov hit some "black ice at 65 mph" and his 2007 Crown Vic PI left the interstate and traveled approximately 232 feet, striking a rock ledge and rolling over twice. The CV was unrecognizable with virtually every body panel crumpled. No injury. Well the press would not let the story die and pressure forced the State Police to release the black box info this week. Bottom line, the CV was doing 108 when it left the road and 92 when it hit the first rock ledge. The "Gov" now says he .."must have fallen asleep". According to a Boston Globe story today the "Gov"..."was also helped by the car's sturdiness and its airbags according to engineers, who were nonetheless shocked by Murray's good fortune". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topgun Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Well following the devastating October snow storm that left many Massachusetts communities without power for a week, our Lt. Governor Tim Murray left his home "before 5 AM" to inspect storm damage. At approximately 0530, while traveling on I-190, the Gov hit some "black ice at 65 mph" and his 2007 Crown Vic PI left the interstate and traveled approximately 232 feet, striking a rock ledge and rolling over twice. The CV was unrecognizable with virtually every body panel crumpled. No injury. Well the press would not let the story die and pressure forced the State Police to release the black box info this week. Bottom line, the CV was doing 108 when it left the road and 92 when it hit the first rock ledge. The "Gov" now says he .."must have fallen asleep". According to a Boston Globe story today the "Gov"..."was also helped by the car's sturdiness and its airbags according to engineers, who were nonetheless shocked by Murray's good fortune". I wonder how a Taurus would make out at that speed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I hope I never find out. I've put a lot of miles on Touring Edition Town Cars, and recently, on a 2K11 SEL AWD Taurus. The Taurus is more solid, IMHO. Part of it is the side-impact requirement of new regs. There's quite a visible difference, also the "A", or windshield pillars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focus06 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Do we know why the Lt.Gov was driving an unmarked police car? Seems a little odd to me..... I miss my Crown Vic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rosadini Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Do we know why the Lt.Gov was driving an unmarked police car? Seems a little odd to me..... I miss my Crown Vic I too miss my 07 Sport- as for the Lt Gov in a PI he normally has a trooper for a driver. But I guess the car is parked at his house and the trooper drives HIS issued PI to the house to get in the Lt. gov's PI! Welcome to Massachusetts! The press obviously smelled a story here. He was heading BACK to his house when he "hit black ice/fell asleep" etc. My guess is the suspicion is just where was he coming from. OH Edstock. I do like my SHO and I know it has all kinds of safety features-but when I open the door, look down, and see no door sill of any consequence, my thought is I sure as hell wish I had that heavy frame under me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I sure as hell wish I had that heavy frame under me. I understand. I really loved the Touring Edition TC I drove. Funny thing, that perimeter frame wasn't that heavy, or that strong — not a design fault, that's a great design. Essentially, front and rear sub-frames, with perimeter linkage. The body is really the source of strength, unlike, say, an F-150, where that ladder-frame is truly the load-carrying back-bone, that everything is hung on. With the latest alloys and CAD, a perimeter frame is not necessarily obsolete . . . My 2¢. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe771476 Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I just read that an East Hartford CT officer was rammed by a vehicle while sitting in his Crown Vic on the side of the road. Initial reports say he is in critical condition with head injuries. No mention of fire. I suspect he did not have his seat belt on since when they are on the side of the road they are usually in and out of their cruisers. Maybe they should start wearing belts every time they sit in the cruiser. A pain in the neck, but worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss444 Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Here is a great article by the fantastic Jack Baruth from TTAC on the same story: Before someone told him that there was such a thing as a “black box”, Mr. Murray blamed the accident on “black ice”. AC/DC, the band which released Black Ice in 2008, had no comment. TTAC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rosadini Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Here is a great article by the fantastic Jack Baruth from TTAC on the same story: TTAC Thx-plenty of good comments to that article. One thing that none of the posters mentioned was that when you see the pix of the car, the side is totally skinned. If it had made direct frontal contact I'm sure he would have been toast-but I think he scrubbed all the energy out of the impact as he brushed the side against the rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Harbinger Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 There's quite a visible difference, also the "A", or windshield pillars. I thought most of the A pillar thickness was due to the side curtain airbags? (A safety feature which are certainly not to be poo-pooed, but for different reasons). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B. Morrow Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I too miss my 07 Sport- as for the Lt Gov in a PI he normally has a trooper for a driver. But I guess the car is parked at his house and the trooper drives HIS issued PI to the house to get in the Lt. gov's PI! Welcome to Massachusetts! The press obviously smelled a story here. He was heading BACK to his house when he "hit black ice/fell asleep" etc. My guess is the suspicion is just where was he coming from. OH Edstock. I do like my SHO and I know it has all kinds of safety features-but when I open the door, look down, and see no door sill of any consequence, my thought is I sure as hell wish I had that heavy frame under me. I would guess the SHO is at least as safe and probably safer due to its Volvo heritage and 20 years of technological advances since the Crown Vic's last redesign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss444 Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I would guess the SHO is at least as safe and probably safer due to its Volvo heritage and 20 years of technological advances since the Crown Vic's last redesign. 2012 - 2003 = 9...not 20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B. Morrow Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 2012 - 2003 = 9...not 20. 2003 was more of a refresh and an update to the front suspension than a complete redesign. The last complete redesign was the 1992 model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goinbroke2 Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I understand. I really loved the Touring Edition TC I drove. Funny thing, that perimeter frame wasn't that heavy, or that strong — not a design fault, that's a great design. Essentially, front and rear sub-frames, with perimeter linkage. The body is really the source of strength, unlike, say, an F-150, where that ladder-frame is truly the load-carrying back-bone, that everything is hung on. With the latest alloys and CAD, a perimeter frame is not necessarily obsolete . . . My 2¢. Ed, I've never looked under a TC but the CV has a solid box frame. Even the tranny crossmember is made from heavy square tubing. Imho I would say it's about a 1985 f-150 frame (strength wise) with a car body on it. The car is solid with removable front aluminum engine cradle. Destroy the front suspension, a couple of bolts and the whole thing comes off like a fwd drivetrain drops out. You can literally replace the complete front suspension in hours. hmmm, going on a bit...point is, yes the CV has one hell of a frame and the cops here use them like rock sliders on a 4x4. They're not just "perimeter linkage". (unless the TC and CV have different frames..)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Ed, I've never looked under a TC but the CV has a solid box frame. Even the tranny crossmember is made from heavy square tubing. Imho I would say it's about a 1985 f-150 frame (strength wise) with a car body on it. The car is solid with removable front aluminum engine cradle. Destroy the front suspension, a couple of bolts and the whole thing comes off like a fwd drivetrain drops out. You can literally replace the complete front suspension in hours. hmmm, going on a bit...point is, yes the CV has one hell of a frame and the cops here use them like rock sliders on a 4x4. They're not just "perimeter linkage". (unless the TC and CV have different frames..)? Not to argue, the frame can be fully-boxed, whatever, but overall, the torsional rigidity of the perimeter frame is considerably less than the rigidity of the ladder-frame you get in pickups (it's the perimeter part that lowers its strength). In the Panther, the body is a reinforcement for the frame: the two work together, whereas in a pickup, the body is not particularly crucial to overall strength, which is carried by the ladder back-bone. I wonder what could be done with a totally new perimeter frame design? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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