Subject: [NEXTEL-1] State Police Park Crown Victorias Until Retrofitting

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 02 Jan 2003 20:41:21 -0500

It's about time they pulled the plug on the Ford Incinerator!
BTW- Chrysler is going head to head with Ford they are introducing a RWD Dodge Intrepid
with a police package called the "Dodge Enforcer"
http://www.wnbc.com/news/1866222/detail.html?treets=ny&tml=ny_break&ts=T&tmi=ny_break_10858_05100101022003

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State Police Park Crown Victorias Until Retrofitting

Move Follows State Trooper's Death

POSTED: 5:42 p.m. EST January 2, 2003
UPDATED: 6:41 p.m. EST January 2, 2003

ALBANY, N.Y. -- State Police Superintendent James McMahon says
Ford Crown Victorias have been pulled from patrol duty until they
can be retrofitted.

FeedRoom

Trooper Dies In Fatal Car Crash (Dec. 20)

He says he told supervisors not to send troopers out in Crown
Victorias that don't have the fuel tank shields to prevent fires
from rear-end collisions.

State police say there are enough Crown Victorias that have been
fitted with the shields or non-Crown Victoria vehicles in fleet to
keep patrols on the roads throughout the state.

Earlier today, the union representing troopers urged its members
to refuse to patrol in Crown Victorias that weren't retrofitted.
The union had called for all those vehicles to be taken out of
service.

A state trooper died December 19th as he was sitting in his
parked Crown Victoria on the shoulder of the Thruway near Yonkers.
An S-U-V rearended the car.

Union officials say the death of trooper Robert Ambrose could
have been prevented.

Previous Stories:

December 24, 2002: State Senator: Suspend Crown Victoria Purchases By Police Agencies

December 23, 2002: State Trooper To Be Buried Today

December 20, 2002: Trooper Dies In Fiery Crash

Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press.
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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---

From: "Blake Bowers" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 2 Jan 2003 21:22:24 -0600

wnbc.com - News - State Police Park Crown Victorias Until RetrofittingI will keep driving my CV.  I have gotten the retro done, but to be
honest, I still feel like it is one of the safest vehicles out there, 
even before the retro.  I am not sure any other vehicle would have
done any different in the very few wrecks/fires there have been.

It is about the only vehicle I can afford that I feel semi-safe
going 130 in.  (Semi safe is all you can feel in any car at that
speed)

---

From: "Bill Smith" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 2 Jan 2003 22:38:46 -0500

Maybe I'm just missing it, but how fast are these impacting vehicles going?
An SUV going 30 or faster is packing a lot of energy and it is real hard to
make a vehicle that can stand up to that.

-----Original Message-----
From: Blake Bowers [mailto:[email-masked]] 
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 22:22
To: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: [NEXTEL-1] State Police Park Crown Victorias Until Retrofitting

I will keep driving my CV.  I have gotten the retro done, but to be

speed)

It's about time they pulled the plug on the Ford Incinerator!
BTW- Chrysler is going head to head with Ford they are introducing a RWD
Dodge Intrepid
with a police package called the "Dodge Enforcer"
http://www.wnbc.com/news/1866222/detail.html?treets=ny
<http://www.wnbc.com/news/1866222/detail.html?treets=ny&tml=ny_break&ts=T&tm
i=ny_break_10858_05100101022003>
&tml=ny_break&ts=T&tmi=ny_break_10858_05100101022003

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---

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 03 Jan 2003 09:33:39 -0500

The speeds  have varied. Most of the impacts were high speed. Yes- an SUV impact and
vehicle would cause serious damage but not many would  explode in flames. I think the
Pinto and the older model Chevy trucks (they had a side mounted fuel tank which  exploded
on side impacts).

Here is a website that gives all the details on the Ford Incinerator incidents.

Center For Auto Safety - Crown Victoria Fuel-Fed Fires

The Center For Auto Safety has added
an accident involving a Cobb County
Police Ford Incinerator to the "Crown
Victoria Death Watch" list.

http://www.autosafety.org/ActionAlerts/CrownVic/cobbfire.htm
http://www.autosafety.org/ActionAlerts/CrownVic/deaths.htm

The lawsuits are mounting against Ford.

C L A S S   A C T I O N   R E P O R T E R

Friday, January 03, 2003

FORD MOTOR: Dallas Launches Lawsuit Over Crown Victoria Police Cruisers
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dallas City Attorney Madeleine Johnson commenced a lawsuit against Ford
Motor Company, demanding that the automaker provide sworn testimony on
safety modifications to the Crown Victoria police cruiser, the Star Telegram
reports.  The suit comes after the death of Dallas officer Patrick Metzler,
31, who suffered smoke inhalation and burns October 23 when his Crown
Victoria Police Interceptor burst into flames when it was rear-ended on US
75.  Ms. Johnson is seeking depositions regarding upgrades that the city
believes could improve the vehicle's safety, such as frame shields, fire
suppressant systems and bladder tanks.

"If we're not able to get the information voluntarily, I felt that I had no
choice," she said during a news conference at City Hall. "I really think
that when you talk about the safety of law enforcement officers, I can leave
no stone unturned."

A Dallas attorney representing Ford said late Thursday that he has not seen
the lawsuit and could not comment, the Star Telegram stated.  He said Ford
will file a response.  Company officials have previously said that they
agreed to provide depositions concerning the shields being installed to
guard against gas tank explosions but that they would not provide testimony
on the other safety systems because the systems are still being tested.

Ms. Johnson rejected that argument, saying that bladder tanks, for example,
are not a new idea.  She said that Ford considered bladder tanks in the late
'70s during a series of lawsuits involving Ford Pintos.  Bladder tanks are
heavy plastic bags that fit inside gas tanks and provide another layer of
protection from a puncture.

Since 1983, at least 14 officers have died nationwide in post-collision
fires involving Crown Victoria police cruisers, according to information
from the city, the Star Telegram states.  A class action lawsuit against the
Company stemming from the crashes is pending in Cleveland.

The lawsuit, which was filed in a state civil court in Dallas, could be a
precursor to a larger suit over the vehicle's safety, depending on what the
city discovers, Ms. Johnson told the Star Telegram.  The current litigation
does not seek any monetary damages.  This is about safety," she said.  "It's
not about a fishing expedition or trying to get money."

Bill Smith wrote:

> Maybe I’m just missing it, but how fast are these impacting vehicles going?  An SUV
> going 30 or faster is packing a lot of energy and it is real hard to make a vehicle that
> can stand up to that.
>
>      ttp://www.wnbc.com/news/1866222/detail.html?treets=ny&tml=ny_break&ts=T&tmi=ny_break_10858_05100101022003
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

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