The Nevada Highway Patrol investigated consecutive-day fatality crashes that killed a 44-year-old Minnesota woman Sunday. Tracy Fons, 44, of Eden Prairie, Minn., was a passenger Sunday in a 1932 Ford Roadster convertible driven by Thomas Taxon, 64, of Reno, when 83-year-old Bernice Rodgers, 83, turned in front of them to access a South Virginia Street casino parking lot. Fons died at the scene. Rodgers, her husband and passenger, Harry Rodgers, 84, and Taxon were taken to Renown Regional Medical Center for treatment. Bernice Rodgers and Taxon were listed in fair condition Monday, said Trooper Chuck Allen, while the condition of Harry Rodgers was not known. The crash occurred about 4:15 p.m. Sun., in front of the Tamarack Casino. Allen said Bernice Rodgers was driving a 1998 Mercury Tracer north on Virginia Street when she turned left in front of Taxon, who had been heading south on Virginia Street. She was turning into the casino parking lot when Taxon tried to avoid the collision, and instead struck the right side of the Mercury. Both Taxon and Fons were wearing lap belts in the antique roadster.
What a bummer, looks like a steel car too. Not that thats what I was concentrating on, just a side observation. Its a terrible thing to happen and I hope the family manage the crisis well.
Rapid decceleration, and there is nothing funny about it. Be careful out there everyone............it only takes an instant to change your life forever. Frank
How sad. Goes to show you have to drive super-defensively, and even when you do everything right, other peoples carelessness can get you.
Another reason I'm going to be putting a full roll bar and 5-point belts in my 34 coupe . . . yikes! It is so sad to see somebody (especially a passenger) take the blunt of a crash and lose their life or be severely hurt -- in any car. One moment you're cruising along having the time of your life, the next minute you're either in the hospital or meeting your maker . . . or both. When I read articles like this, makes me even ponder putting an early hotrod on the road -- but you have to live life, not be afraid of it!
Man that's terrible. They must have hit/been hit really hard. That front wheel is back by the door now. Just terrible. I agree with bored&stroked too. It makes me think twice about even driving my coupe.
Very sad indeed, but I refuse to live my life based on what "might" happen. I do think about things like this especially when my grandson is with me. Driving is a dangerous proposition, reguardless of what you are in.
I think that living in fear is not living, sad that things like this happen but I believe the old saying might be true, " when your number is up"....
I hate to hear about stuff like this. This is why I'm building a coupe or sedan with 3 point seat belts. It ain't 1950 anymore.
More than a lap belt might have helped. Here in indy I see wrecks like that all the time, two really close calls friday for my self. Too many cars and people not thinking while driving them. Sad story.
Sad that a person had to die because someone was not paying attention. That's why I have parked my Harley. I've been driving 32 Fords for 40 years and think about the fact that any car like that has almost no protection from a crash. As I get older it makes me think twice and be especially attentive when driving.
Driving is taking your life in your hands,,everyone in a hurry,,to many cars on the road etc etc. Best you can do is just pay as much attention as you can, and not for nothing,,the old roadsters ,,are all basically death traps in a 40 mph crash. Would that stop me from driving one? No You have to drive one of those like you were riding a motorcycle, as the protection you have is about the same.
I hear yah on the motor cycle -- have seen too many friends lose too much for me to take those chances anymore. To each his own though - I don't try to tell others how to live. I will say one thing though, when I see accidents like this, it help me focus on the fabrication work that I do -- to make things as strong as possible, to consider what might happen in a crash, etc.. It is one reason I take great care and spend a lot of 'engineering time' on frame design and especially things like motor mounts, tranny mounts, brake/clutch mounts, brackets, suspension pieces, etc.. Just think what happens when a flimsy set of motor mounts break and the whole engine/transmission is now where your legs/body used to be? Yikes!
83 years old?!! The state should really look into this woman's ability to drive! She probably never saw the roadster when she cut in front of them. Is there mandatory yearly testing in Nevada?
I agree, plus alot of these newer style cars and trucks have large blind spots at the A pilliar, because of course the pilliar, the large side mirror, and the vent shades most people have. My parts chaser truck has all three and you have to look twice before pulling out into traffic.
I may say something here that will upset a few of you guys on this board...I am 76 years old and think there should be a mandatory age restriction on driving,,period...When my mother reached 80,my brother and i insisted she give up her driving priveleges...I live next door to a 94 year old lady that scares every one on the road everytime she drives..My sight and reaction time has diminished over time and I always have someone drive me(in my car)for most of my needs..So if you have older parents,do them a favor and talk them out of driving, sell their car,drive them your self,they wont like it a first but will understand.I'm not saying ALL old folks are at fault,but in most cases Age is contributing factor. my 3 cents
Very saddening. Not paying attention drivers really makes me nervous when I drive my T roadster......but nature of the beast and keep on Hot Rodding.
I was in an accident with only lap belts..no shoulder belt... It was in an older semi truck in a rollover. my butt stayed where it was supposed to but I got slapped on the dash like a ragdoll so hard my glasses cut into my face and it looked like they were on when they were not... and I had a circular cut between my shoulders from the dome light housing... if I didn't have the lapbelt I'd have probably been ground to a paste under the truck. In my 2 million miles of driving I've been up close at alot of fatalities and in most cases I was near or near enough to hear what happened from another trucker was the person had contact with the roof at the top of the window and head trauma. I watched a man my age clenching his fists and trying to wake up after a JB hunt pulled out from a driveway into 55mph traffic giving him about 100' to react on US30 in IND. he had a small dent in his flesh where he kissed the window frame with his forehead. We stayed talking with him and Watched him go, he was gone before the medics arrived Damn good driver. he had a load of tubular trestle and other ironwork on his flatbed...the type you'd see at a mall in the entrance. he kept his truck true and did not lose any of his load and no-one else got hurt, his last act was golden. just doing his job? just being professional?? just a hard working average everyday american hero. I knew him for about 15 minutes and I will always look up to him
I agree with you and and Bumpstick. I've been a paramedic for 18 years and I can't tell you how many major accidents I've been to caused by elderly folks who just don't have the reaction times or situational awareness of someone younger. That decline in skills can be worsened by any prescription medication they may be taking. Heck, my Dad, who is only 63 (and a hot rodder), had to quit driving recently because he's on too many meds for chronic back pain and recently hit the gas instead of the brake. Fortunately, the only casualty was a pole, his daily driver (to the tune of $3000 damage) and his pride. My condolences to all those involved in this accident. Horrible news.
Man, there have been too many sad reports like this lately. Even with seat belts. Who knows if it would have helped in these situations, but from now on I'm traveling with the headlights on all the time. And to think, I let my buddy talk me out of daytime running lights when we wired the car. Fuck. Gary
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