Toll Booth Accident - I-190 Buffalo - Pics

Last week, while driving into work, I noticed that their was much more traffic then usual. While traveling southbound on I-190 into Buffalo, there is a toll booth plaza that has three E-Z Pass Lanes and four pay lanes. The highway is only a two lane highway, but it opens up at the toll plaza.

I could'nt tell why there was such a backup until I got closer to the toll gate. The left most E-Z pass lane was blocked off by a few police cars and this is what happened.

From my perspective:



From the front:



I guess that both cars were trying to be the first thru the toll plaza, and neither would let the other one in. It took over an hour to get the people out of their cars b/c there was no room on either side to squeeze out. I couldn't stop laughing the whole morning. The Maxima looks like it got the brunt of the impact.

My friend at work got these pics from a buddy of his. I'm guessing they were taken by either the cops on the scene or the tow-truck driver.

It took over an hour to get the people out of their cars b/c there was no room on either side to squeeze out.

See... Take that, all you sunroof "stiffness" naysayers...
That's why having a sunroof is a good thing... could have been out in a jiffy!

And people doubt evolution! What more proof is needed!

Looks like Honda was winning

two idiots.

Originally Posted by Ack

It took over an hour to get the people out of their cars

I can't even begin to imagine the nice conversation those drivers had for that hour. Talk about captive audience.
OTOH I think it's a good thing that they didn't have sun roofs; if they could get out before police came, one of them would be dead now.

That is AWESOME!

I guess the ez pass charged them both?

Originally Posted by LmtdSlip

I guess the ez pass charged them both?

I wonder if it kept taking toll money from them? That would be hilarious is it ran them dry and then got sent a photo ticket for not paying.

Originally Posted by Ack

From the front:



.

Seems like the Nissan was totally at fault. You can see damage to the drivers side rear of the Honda and both front corners of the Nissan are smashed. That would lead me to belive that the Honda was in front....maybe stopped for traffic or something and the Nissan just slamed in there.

I've argued w/ people about who's going to pay for lunch or dinner, but on who's paying a toll? that's a new one.

Originally Posted by Test_Engineer

That would lead me to belive that the Honda was in front....maybe stopped for traffic or something and the Nissan just slamed in there.

The entry is too narrow for both of them to go side-by-side, plus there are no scrape marks on the barriers.

I think TE is right: the Honda was there first, probably stopped for whatever reason, and the Altima driver realized it too late and didn't stop in time.

Sun Su say..."Ez pass...arrr...not so Ez"

Originally Posted by yamato

two idiots.

Glad I'm older and wiser than to have to show that I'm an idiot at a toll plaza.

I've actually seen that happen here coming to a cash lane years ago. They didn't get stuck, but they rubbed doors until they stopped and started screaming at each other.

Funniest I've seen was a guy who clipped the left wall and rolled onto the passenger side, stopping even with the booth while centered in the lane. It looked almost planned.

Worse yet is when one of the truckers forgets about the toll plaza. We've had several in the past couple years go up the concrete barricade and take out many lanes of the plaza, and in one instance kill a booth operator. I had to drive off the road once as a tanker came sliding sideways toward the automatic car-only lanes. He came to a stop 50ft from the plaza but the truck was perpendicular to traffic.

Originally Posted by cwsqbm

Worse yet is when one of the truckers forgets about the toll plaza. We've had several in the past couple years go up the concrete barricade and take out many lanes of the plaza, and in one instance kill a booth operator. I had to drive off the road once as a tanker came sliding sideways toward the automatic car-only lanes. He came to a stop 50ft from the plaza but the truck was perpendicular to traffic.

Booth operator is a dangerous job. Even though no car hits them, they inhale large amount of car exhaust. I think they don't live very long.

Originally Posted by yamato

Booth operator is a dangerous job. Even though no car hits them, they inhale large amount of car exhaust. I think they don't live very long.

Here in DFW there's been a couple of toll booth operators that was killed when they tried to cross the plaza when getting on or off their shifts. The new toll plaza has a elevator that take them to and from underground. The Dallas Tollroad authority want to redo all the old plaza to have the underground for the worker to use.

I'm glad that there's no toll booths on my way to work, or pretty much anwhere I go!

That is hilarious!!! I hate those F'ers who think they own the road and never let anyone merge or move over. I hope the state makes them pay for the toll booth damage.

. It's good to see that plenty of morons do exist.

Originally Posted by yamato

Booth operator is a dangerous job. Even though no car hits them, they inhale large amount of car exhaust. I think they don't live very long.

can't be any worse than living in NYC or some other major city.

The booth operators around here are almost always elderly, however on a trip to my sisters place in Wichita there was a LONG line of cars to go through one boothe (I went through it 3 times) b/c there was a SMOKING HOT girl working there. Peopel must have had CB's and cell phones working b/c there were 4 lanes open and pretty much everyone was piled up behind the one lane this girl was in.

Originally Posted by yamato

Booth operator is a dangerous job. Even though no car hits them, they inhale large amount of car exhaust. I think they don't live very long.

Pipefitting, smelting --- those are dangerous jobs. Exposure to things like MEK or asbestos. Car exhaust is nothing in comparison.