Don't leave vehicle running

[IslandTractor]

Is this the story this thread is (has become) about? Suspected thief shot, killed in Maple Valley confrontation | Local News | The Seattle Times

Doesn't sound like the incident described earlier. The perp had a gun in the story you linked.

 

[Midniteoyl]

You might check with your insurance on the subject of your actions abetting the theft...

Harry K

Being stupid is one thing, making it illegal is another..

 

[Midniteoyl]

That might have been the cause of some of the "runaway acceleration" crashes. IMO that 'button' is one of the dumbest ideas going.

Harry K

I agree.. if I had hit it and ran after them, it would have taken off. IMO it should still shut down.

 

[dmccarty]

The truck was a manual with the shifter on the column. They believe it jumped into gear.

I don't see how a manual transmission can be jumped into gear. :confused3: The clutch has to be operated to get the tranny in gear. Most the manual vehicles I have driven will stall out if put in gear and if the "gas" pedal is not pressed as the clutch is let up. The feathering of the clutch and "gas" pedal is what many find hard to do. My Ford 7.3 has so much torque that I can put the truck in gear, let go the clutch and the truck will drive without stalling IF the truck is not going up hill but it is an exception. In any case, one still has to push in the clutch, select a gear and then release the clutch. That does not happen by mistake and the truck does not just jump into gear.

I can see the manual gear popping OUT of gear if it was never really in gear but I don't understand how a manual tranny can pop INTO gear. That does not make sense to me. Most people stall a manual vehicle because of all of the things that have to be done just right to get the danged thing to drive. I am having "fun" teaching my oldest to drive the manual truck right now. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Did the truck move forward or backwards? Was it on a hill? This just does not make sense to me.

I learned to drive a manual on a column shifter. I wonder if he caught a sleeve or jacket on the shifter and taken the tranny OUT of gear? I just dont see how a manual tranny can be put into gear by accident. Unless it was a JD PowerReverser tranny, that can be put in foward/reverse by the flip of a lever but if I am off the seat the engine will stall. How do I know this? I have had the lever get snagged by my coat a few times.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

A car owner caught a thief stealing his car a few years ago. The thief was driving the car away and it was kind iffy if the car was being used as a weapon. The car owner shot the thief. Reading what was in the paper, which has to be taken with a block of salt, it did not look good for the car owner. The shooting took place in a rural county and the DA did not pursue the case because he knew he could not get a conviction. If the same shooting had taken place in certain urban areas of NC, I do think the car owner's goose would have been cooked.

People need to understand we have a CRIMINAL Justice System not a VICTIM's Justice System. A family we know has an 18 year old daughter who has been stalked by a 17 year old neighbor. The 17 year old had 9 felony and lessor charges last time I looked. He had stalking, B&E, and burglary charges. The girl has had to drop out of the local CC because she is afraid he will kill her at school and the family is having to sell their house to move to a different county. I assume the will create a trust or company to buy the house so they cannot be traced. The POS will be out of prison in 9 MONTHS. The girl has lost a year or so of school in comparison because of his actions and she is lucky that is all she has lost. He on the other hand has not been penalized at all in comparison.

CRIMINAL Justice.

Later,
Dan

 

[dave1949]

Well Dan, you never drove my 1974, three on the tree, Nova. In its later years, it had to be held in second gear until it was time for third, or it would pop out of gear. :laughing:

I think it is possible for a manual to pop into gear if isn't completely in neutral. It sounds like an older truck which means there could be a lot slop in the linkage, like my Nova.

 

[dmccarty]

Well Dan, you never drove my 1974, three on the tree, Nova. In its later years, it had to be held in second gear until it was time for third, or it would pop out of gear. :laughing:

I think it is possible for a manual to pop into gear if isn't completely in neutral. It sounds like an older truck which means there could be a lot slop in the linkage, like my Nova.

I can see the tranny popping out of gear but into gear I don't understand. With the exception of my Ford, any manual vehicle I have owned would have stalled with the engine idling and if the tranny suddenly went into gear. Course, no of my vehicles COULD have gone into gear without the clutch being used. I guess maybe it was a real old truck or maybe had a problem it could have gone into gear but then there is the issue of stalling...

If the truck was an auto, then it makes more sense to me that the tranny went into gear compared to a manual.

I learned to drive on a Jeep Wagoneer with a manual three speed on the column. That Jeep was from the late 60's or maybe early 70's and I stalled it many a time by not giving gas.

I really would like to know what happened because it just does not make sense to me.

Later,
Dan

 

[bcp]

Did the truck move forward or backwards? Was it on a hill? This just does not make sense to me.

Doesn't look very hilly:

From:
Worth News Monday - Unfortunate Accident is Fatal | Worth County GA Online NewsWorth County GA Online News



Hard to imagine a truck in neutral having enough force to roll over someone in the terrain in the photo. But 50 yards away may be a hill...???

If it went into gear, with enough energy to not stall and to roll over someone, what finally stopped the truck? The gate?

Bruce

 

[xtn]

If you believe in maintaining law and order, it needs to go both ways.

I do believe in maintaining law and order. I just think the law ought allow us to shoot car thieves.

I understand our forefathers felt the same way about horse thieves.

 

[turnkey4099]

Is this the story this thread is (has become) about?

Suspected thief shot, killed in Maple Valley confrontation | Local News | The Seattle Times

No, the car thief under discussion was in Spokane, Wa.

Maple valley one is an interesting one. No self defense until the perp fired back Even then I doubt it will fly. Perp could have even claime self defnse up to that point after being fired at (he wouldn't have know it was targeed on the tire). .

Harry K

Harry K