Originally published at: Why did this semi-truck driver decide to drive into flood waters? | Boing Boing
…
7 Likes
To his credit, he almost got most of the way there.
10 Likes
Thank you for not assuming it was a female driver 
9 Likes
Needs an 11’8” bridge midway across the flood, for a little extra challenge.
32 Likes
To get to the other side.
26 Likes
Looks like he just couldn’t see where the side of the road was and drove over the edge. Why he didn’t keep a bit more to his left and centered on the road is what I’m wondering, probably could have made it (unless there was a huge crater there or something…)
10 Likes
It looks like the driver just lost sight of where the road actually was, which is easy to do when water is moving across it like that since it can disorient you (BTDT). It they would have kept it straight, they would probably have been fine. (Hint: keep your eye on your target destination and not just at the road right in front of you)
But that said, it’s best not to try crossing in that situation since you really don’t know what’s under (or not under) the water.
10 Likes
16 Likes
I think he may have seen one too many videos of Siberian truck rivers. They sometimes drive down the river beds, which have nice firm gravel at the bottom, rather than the roads, which can have mud just as deep as the rivers…
8 Likes
In a tanker truck, no less. I wonder what’s in it.
8 Likes
More likely the edge of the road had eroded, and there was no longer road where there used to be road. It wasn’t that deep, for that truck at least.
5 Likes
He coulda stayed to the upstream edge of the road, and been fine. Oh, well. The things you learn as a truck driver…
4 Likes
Pro tip: if you can’t actually see the road, don’t try to drive on it.
15 Likes
Truer words…
Skipping school in high school me 3 others were in my dad’s car at the local park. Went down a back road to hide and drink. The road was flooded a bit, I picked the wrong side to go around. Put my dad’s car on it’s side where it filled with water. A guy in an old van was watching and laughing. Cost me a bag of weed and our beer for him to pull us out. Good times.
8 Likes
Nah, he said, I don’t think I can make it, I’ll just pull over here and let the other cars through.
Other cars be like 
3 Likes
Sometimes life presents us with little IQ tests. This driver didn’t even get the median score, he got the pull off the road and fall over score. Dumbass!
1 Like
The place where he falls off the road looks to be the place where the current was strongest. Don’t underestimate the power of simple moving water. Even if it doesn’t get that high it can force silt, algae, or other slippery substances under the wheels.
10 Likes
To show the armadillo that it could be done.
5 Likes
From someone who lives in a frequent flood zone, the truck was almost certainly pushed off the roadbed by the water; the driver had no chance of staying on the road because their tires were never really on the road to begin with. There was water under them the second he drove in. It takes almost no water to do this, especially if it’s moving.
Never drive into flood water at any depth.
Never ever ever drive into flood water that is visibly moving, especially perpendicular to the roadway.
19 Likes
THIS TIMES INFINITY. (and then some)
It’s happened enough in Arizona that we passed a law making the driver responsible for the cost of their rescue. The delicious irony was the of the first idiots under that law was driving an H2 or and H3 and thought they could cross it. (spoiler: no, and the truck was totaled out as flooded.)
10 Likes
