this matter is out of our hands. The only way this can be solved is to have these girls arm wrestle.

Yikes Live_Laugh_Love....a little anger management would go a long way in giving your opinion credence.

Well wishes go out to Michelle, Brittany and their families. Make the most of your second chance and cherish the ones you love. One or both families could have been planning funerals right now.

LOL.
I want to say again I too am glad they are both ok. I am a person who gets attached to things so I get being sad about a car.

Just glad both girls are okay! Vehicles can be replaced, lives cannot!

facebooker....this one's for you...I love how people (not you) feel the need to drag other personal stuff into their comments that have absolutely nothing to do with the original story? You catching that too???

I love how people can comment on other peoples comments but people cant comment on the actuall story. right.....

Reading these blogs makes me sick... I still can't believe the wonderful factual Gazette continues to allow people to comment. Have your families ever been in the paper? Do you know what it feels like for the friends,families or people involved to have to read these comments...most likely they are feeling like crap added to the guilt and sadness or what ever etc. that they already have! Until you are in the paper and people reem you/your family or friend a new one maybe you should just keep your comment to yourself...uhgg take the comments off it's SAD, DISGUSTING, SHOCKING,HEARTLESS. If you even knew this girl you couldn't even imagine what she has been through in her life...As for the other girl involved IDK but I'm sure if she is a student she is pry broke and working and studying trying to better her life... as for the other lady (M.Slowey) she has lost her vehicle now TOO what is she going to drive. She is also a working studying student who is trying to better her life...A big screw you to the jerks on here.Just like they say think before you speak, re-read and think before you hit SUBMIT Thanks!!! (And I'm sure I will get a lot of lovely comments back to this one!)
-Small town Milton citizen

So I have the right to assume that everyone who has posted on this has never made a mistake or had an error in judgement at some time in their lives. Accidents happen and to those of you who say that you are not passing judgement or placing blame that's a crock because that is exactly what people are doing. I am so thankful to hear that Michelle is going to be ok and that hope that all of you who have posted your "assumptions" of what happened on Monday afternoon can reexamine your own lives a little closer.

Michelle is okay no life threatening injuries. Banged up pretty bad though.

joeflint: Gosh, you just took away everybody's fun here. (Just kidding. I hope both women are doing OK now.)

To address the rampant speculation, let's take a look at the few facts provided. Since we do not know from the article the pavement condition, presence or absence of skid marks, nor distances of the final resting place of either vehicle from the collision point, it is impossible with the available information from first principles to work out the velocity of the impacting vehicle.

However, we _can_ determine the plausiblity that the Taurus was still at highway speed of 55 mph at impact.

A 1994 Ford Taurus weighs approximately 1600 kg with one occupant; a 1995 Toyota 4Runner weighs approximately 1750 kg with one occupant. A 4Runner will tip over only if lateral forces very suddenly exceed about 0.4 g on wet/icy pavement.

Thus, it requires a force greater than F = m a = 1750 kg * 0.4 * 9.8 m / sec / sec = about 7000 Newtons to start tipping the 4Runner.

Now, let us assume that the Taurus was at 55 mph which is about 25 m / sec. Its momentum is m v = 1500 kg * 25 m / sec = 37,500 kg m / sec.

Force is equal to the difference in momemtum over the impact time. The change in momemtum on the 4Runner is less than 37,500 kg m / sec; I estimate about 28,500 kg m / sec.

Thus, the impact time is about 28,500 kg m / sec divided by 7,000 N yielding about 4 seconds.

This is a plausible (though on the long end) length of time for impact, crush forces, and redistribution of the momemtum.

In plain English: given the available facts, it is unlikely the Taurus was below 55 mph at impact and both drivers are very fortunate not to be seriously injured.

........

At 55 mph = 80 fps, it takes approximately 10-15 seconds to slow down to zero if one is not in an emergency situation -- i.e. slowing down to turn left. (One can stop a vehicle from 55 mph in about 7 seconds under ideal conditions.) If the trailing car was also at 55 mph and never braked (which we do not know), the minimum distance between vehicles when the leading vehicles brakes were applied was 800 feet or nearly three football fields. That distance would be 80 feet greater for every second the 4Runner waited to turn left (another unknown). Thus, it seems difficult to justify the statement that "speed was not a factor" however as I have labored to point out, there may be mitigating factors.

Please drive defensively and courteously.

This still simply comes down to a 21 year old hitting a stopped car. Any way you look at it, Brittany did NOT cause this accident. Both of these girls are locals, they KNOW that intersection. Of course Michele is a nice girl, of course she didn't "intend" to slam into the back of another car! It WAS an accident, I'm sure.
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That said, Michele hit Brittany's car from the back while she was stopped, prepared to turn. What most of us have posted here, is what we suspect happened. MY personal opinion for how this happened is that Michele was distracted. The point is she was NOT paying attention. Had she hit one of MY children, I would be beyond consolable. Thank God it looks like they both will be ok...
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So here is MY gripe. I've been driving for 35 years. As the decades pass, young drivers are more aggressive, selfish and impudent. The population as a whole seems to think THEY are the only one that matters. From tailgating to speeding, to texting while driving...
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There seems to be a lack of respect for others' safety besides their own. I hope this is a wake up call for these two young ladies. Defensive driving used to be taught... I don't know what has happened but the rudeness on our roads is getting worse by the year.
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This age group has THE biggest rate of accidents... wonder why... This is also why their insurance rates are so high.

I'm not attacking either of these girls. Nice people have accidents too. But THIS one was clearly avoidable had Michele been paying attention to the task at hand. SAFE DRIVING! Expect the UNexpected....

totally agree with you mandy89!!!

Is there any update Mandy89?

What ever happened to thank the lord we are all alive?! You should be happy you were not seriously harmed. Michelle is my best friend and i know for fact she would never harm anyone intentionally. She is probably the nicest person i have ever met (honestly). No one deserves this, but out of any person in the world michelle is the very last. She has already been through so much in her life please do not let your words hurt even more. To brittney i know michelle is so unbelievably sorry, even if there was a factor that she could not control i'm sure she sill feels guilty.

who knows what really happened....you can't blame someone when you don't even know the straight facts. y'all need to stop getting on each others back!

the story does state that she was stopped when she was hit. I think that takes out the hit the breaks idea. - Just saying.

Biscuit~That's real nice. I hope that gets brought up on your judgement day.

First off if any of you actually knew Michelle you would know that she doesn't smoke (some people made that assumption after stating they know her.) Michelle is a WONDERFUL person. She would help anyone in anyway she could. She does have an underlying medical condition that was most likely the reason why she was med flighted. I have not personally talked to Michelle so I cannot say what happened. But I can say that ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN! Maybe she wasn't paying attention, maybe Brittany hit the brakes too fast and Michelle couldn't slow down in time. No one really knows what happened except Michelle and Brittany. I do think it was a little insensitive of Brittany to post about her truck but at least she did say she hoped Michelle was okay. She may feel attached to her truck but she should probably keep that in private and not post it on a public website so she can get ripped apart by the lovely people reading this paper.

Ah - the way it was worded before made it sound like you thought it was on the curve.

Brittany was hit from behind at 55mph the other driver is at fault.I hope you get lots of money Brittany its your chance take it.
B

facebooker we are saying the same thing if you read my post @9:30 this morning...another poster said there is no curve at the accident scene , but it is just ahead on 59.

bigfish - the point is the curve is AFTER the accident. Someone commented on the sharp curve that may have factored in.
There is a curve yes, after where the accident happened. Meaning she was driving straight and could have used the second lane to go around. She didn't go around she rear ended someone. You don't rear end someone by paying attention. I'm not saying shes a bad person. She may be the nicest person in the world, but SHE rear ended someone.

I hope the girl is alright. Any update as to her condition?

sunflower... People have opinions... opinions which are probably based on personal experience. These comments are what people feel and have seen and the circumstances that cause these types of accidents are more often than not... due to negligence.

I didn't see any UFO's last night, while I was being diverted from the accident scene, so MY "assumption" is someone rear-ended another, due to inattentive driving.

You are not the only one on this "soapbox"!

There is a curve in the road just after the accident scene about 25yards ahead...I drive it every day and I too got diverted around the accident last night again hope the girl is ok.

justme46 I am not putting blame on either one involved. I didn't see the accident happen. I am just speculating as to what might have happened. As I did state, getting hit from behind leads me to believe the one that hit the other wasn't probably paying attention. But I am not putting blame on either one because I don't know what happened and didn't see it happened. I hope that both parties involved are ok.

i can't imagine that some of you haven't ever been on your phone, eating, smoking, adjusting your radio, reaching for something somewhere in your car, that happens, and it also just so happens sometimes it causes accidents, be grateful every time you've done something that has taken the focus off your driving it hasn't resulted in an accident, but it doesn't make it any less wrong.
all these assumptions and judgments disgust me. everyone should be ashamed.
the factors that contributed to this, the endless possibilities about why it happened, are beyond everyone except the two women and families of the women in the accident.
ever think about how these words you are so easily typing on a website are going to affect someone? if you feel so strongly about this and the need to voice your critical, judgmental thoughts, it's Milton and Edgerton, very small, grab the phone book and give them a call or stop over, i wonder if it'd be as easy to say it to their face and their family, after hearing the facts, instead of just typing it on a website.

Again, what is wrong with you people? I get mystified everytime I read these posts. How can you blame the one that got hit? Makes no sense to me! Hope both girls are alright. It is a tragedy. I was hit at a dead stop by a drunk going 70 mph. Thank God myself or my son and his friend weren't hurt, but it is very scary. They didn't find the guy for a week! Nice passerbys helped me and my kids. I still look over my shoulder whenever I am at a stop, this will do the same to Brittney. As for the negative posters on here, leave the poor girl alone and go shovel some snow!!!

I was at this accident last night. Let me first say there is no sharp curve where it happened. Also, the road was not slick. Hitting someone from behind in your car makes me think she wasn't paying attention to what was happening. But I do drive this road every Monday thru Friday on my way to and from work. I do see a bunch of people not using their turn signals where this accident happened. This could be a reason for the accident as well. Remember if you are turning at an intersection you do need to use your turn signal so people know that you intend to turn there.

LOVE::: No med flight,it went to bike heaven!! And as for me,my boots were made for walkin!!

momof3 -???

I was off work for about 11 months, however, I'm very lucky. Still pissed at the nutjob. :)
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This is what I don't get. People always seem to make more of an intersection that what really needs to be. For example: Hwy. 26 & N - What in the world is so hard about that intersection? People going east/west just need to PAY ATTENTION to north and southbound traffic. The same with Hwy. 59 & N. You want the state to step in, put more signs up, and help in people's short attention spans.
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P-A-Y A-T-T-E-N-T-I-O-N!
Geez.

Im just saying that they were both traveling east on 59, that means there was a fairly straight stretch and a lane she could have gone around. But she didn't use it so I'm thinking she wasn't paying attention.

Glad you were not hurt. my accident thankfully was not going that fast but my car was only about a year and a half old by then.
My sister totaled my other sisters car while borrowing it once. She got rear ended on court st here in town and my sister that owned the car was definitely very much more worried about our sister than her car but once we knew she was OK she was very upset, it was the first car she had ever bought.
I mean come on people, people get attached to all kinds of things. I'm very attached to my car, my wedding ring, my pearls, my wedding dress. Would I ever try to save them over my family NEVER but I'm still attached!

I drive Hwy 59 between Milton & Edgerton daily.
That curve and that turning spot are horrible regardless of time of day or time of year.
The COUNTY or STATE should step up! Lower speed limit & more signage.

They were both on 59, how is that a sharp curve? http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Milton...

facebooker - right on!! I was rear-ended by a nutjob going approximately 65mph (taken from sheriff's report) and was pushed 156', the driveshaft on the road about 50' ahead of me. I was p*****!
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BTW, I was going about 10mph, ready to turn into my driveway in the country. Doctor said that the fact I was moving at all probably saved my life.

I'm not sure where the "sharp" curve would be.

The other part of this is maybe Brittany only had liability insurance on her car being an older vehicle and now she will not get a dime for the car to repair it and just maybe she hasn't got the money to replace it, so yes there would be an attachment to the car. Ever think about that.

Beloitguy did you read the whole story the fist thing this girl said was the truck was registered to her mom not her, just clearing that up for you. Her first thought was with the girl that hit her she clearly says (I am glad the woman that hit me is doing o.K.) where do you get off saying I shouldn't be all that surprised that a girl from Edgerton cares more about her truck than the life of another person.) next time take your time and read the whole story and not bits and pieces.

I happen to have a bit of information about the airlifting. The young lady was not airlifted from any injuries that she sustained as a result of this accident, but as a precaution related to another health issue that she had previous to the accident.

Woodman , Did they call Med-flight for your bike ?

Sure everyone hopes the other driver is alright,sure this is a cold and careless country we live in,but to the extent of wishing harm to another human being,i hope not! When i was a kid working on my grandma's farm,my brother took my bike,(you have no idea how long it took me to save 15 dollars to buy it)anyway he hit a tree with it,my mother called me to tell me about it,and the first thing i said,how's my bike,so i suppose i'm a bad person too,oh well!!

PBRMan-seems as if the accident victim is also attached to HER Toyota since that is what SHE was driving and talking about on this blog.

I HAVE been in the position of having my car totalled in an accident which was not my fault. I admit to being mad about having to get a new car but not because I was emotionally attached to it. IT WAS JUST A CAR.

These are all reasons the article states the crash is under investigation.

Only takes one second for someone's life to spin completely out of control. Makes me enjoy snowstorms when I have the option of staying home... at least a car ramming into my house would have to get through some drifts first which would slow it down...now if I can just avoid spiraling airplanes.... :)

PBRMan: I own a Toyota Scion and I am very emotional about it ... it is a wonderful vehicle. I am, unfortunately, not emotional about my Chevy Impala.

How is saying "I am glad to hear the woman that hit me is doing okay" selfish?
Id love to see anyone of you have something happen to your cars and see how you handle it. You are all being ridiculous. How many of you would honestly just say "oh well its just a car"

Wow tough crowd ... Brit it's seems like a normal reaction to me ? First she say's I hope the girl is OK and then she expresses that speed was a factor and I bet it was along with being inattentive. Then she expresses regret that her favorite truck is wrecked , what's wrong with that ? The accident was not her fault , she's probably in shock a little over the whole thing and I'm sure the girl who caused the accident is a very nice person but she did run into someone at 55mph plus . I hope the young lady is ok but if you rear end someone when the other car is stopped and you are heading into a sharp curve in the road it's a good assumption that she was distracted for a split second or two !

Hey Brittany, did you have your turn signal on?

Brittany thats a really selfish thing to say about someone who was airlifted to get medical care. They do that because the injuries were life threatening. Grow up and forget about the stupid truck. I personally know the girl that hit you, and I know she is a good person. Karma will come around to you soon.

"While Kleinert, was stopped and waiting to turn left onto County N, Slowey’s 1994 Ford Taurus hit Kleinert’s 1995 Toyota 4Runner from behind"
We are not the one who blamed her, pretty sure the investigating officers did that.

just because its winter does not mean that the roads were slick. And I would be shocked to find that any roads were slick at that time yesterday.
I didnt say she wanted to or tried to hurt anyone. If she was texting, dialing, eating, lighting a cigarette....whatever she should have been watching the road.

At that time yesterday, I don't think any roads were slick.

PBRMan- The uninjured girl was driving a Toyota according to the article. The women who was taken to Madison was driving an older car. Did you ever think that maybe it was the older car that caused the accident. Maybe something went wrong with the car. Unless you know Michelle you have NO right to place the blame on her. Michelle is a wonder person who would NEVER want to harm anyone else!! I do not care if you know the roads well or not it is winter and the roads could of been slick! It was an accident! Lets be thankful that everyone is ok.

I hope that the truck did not have to suffer much at the end. Are you planning on burying it or cremating it?

Given the fact that you are so upset about your truck, maybe thinking that the truck gave it's life for yours will make you feel better. Regardless of what the reason for the crash was, you're alive and uninjured and your mom is not planning your funeral or visiting you in the hospital. That's what insurance is for. It's a truck. A TRUCK.

Brittany I know how you feel! After having been in an accident that was not my fault and and finding out the lady was messing around and not paying attention. I did hope she was OK and I knew that she was not hurt but I was very upset about my car. Its not selfish, its normal. They were able to fix my car but it was still upsetting.
Second: all these people saying don't assume....I know this area and its not like the person who did the hitting couldn't see the truck. You would have to not be paying attention to the road to not be able to stop.
Seriously, you tell us she hit the 4runner hard enough to flip it but you want us to believe that speed was not a factor???

Brittany - ignore the idiots out there on this blog. You stated FIRST you were glad she was ok, BEFORE stating the disappointment regarding your truck. That was the proper thing to do. It is perfectly normal to have an attachment/emotional feelings towards your ride. That is what is lacking in America and why so many drive unemotional Toyota's. I am glad you are ok, that is a pretty good wack to take at 55+.....

Good Morning - Please, let's just quit our bickering in general. I'm sure that Brittany and her family have first checked into the condition of the girl that hit her. Before anyone throws stones though, can we be a bit human? Thanks - oh, and Edgerton is a great place to live - regardless of the post otherwise.

Brit , If this other young lady ends up not being ok , Will you still be a selfish young lady ? Were you raised that way ? How proud your parents must be . Is a truck more important than a human life ?

Way to go gazette! Don't you check these stories out before you write the article? I'm glad the women are doing well.

Brittany - I'm guessing that your mom isn't 21 either?

I am happy that both gals are ok..But yah, ummmmm- kinda sad that a posting by a driver about her truck..?..

Brittany - Good to see your priorities are in order. I shouldn't be all that surprised that a girl from Edgerton cares more about her truck than the life of another person. It isn't a good idea to make any assumptions about what happened with the other driver. It is called an accident for a reason. Be happy that you were able to post a message on a blog at 7:00 AM in the morning. Now go on mourning your truck......

First off, I was the one actually driving the vehicle. The truck was registered to my mom, who is Tonya.

I am glad to hear the woman that hit me is doing okay, but I want to know what on earth she was doing. Speed WAS a factor in the crash. I was STOPPED and the woman hit me from behind at 55+ mph. She hit me with enough force that she sent my truck rolling.

I'm incredibly upset about our truck. That was our baby. I really hope that this girl wasn't texting while driving or messing with her cell phone. RIP beloved truck. :(