OT - Horrific luge crash

Submitted by MGoAndy on
http://ow.ly/16Sh4 Horrible news out of Vancouver. Luger seriously injured (reports are that he has died but unconfirmed) in 95 MPH collision with a metal pole. Terrible way to start the Olympics. There is video of this out there but I'm not linking to it because it's truly scarring.
MGoBoard
Olympics
luge

wlubd

February 12th, 2010 at 3:04 PM ^

Saw the video once and that was enough. Not much that makes me squeamish but I couldn't stand to watch it again. Hopefully the reports of his death aren't true but I can't see how he could have survived.

Joined: 02/26/2009

MGoPoints: 7188

Blazefire

February 12th, 2010 at 3:35 PM ^

You just watched a man DIE. This is not a movie. It's not special effects. In an instant, a man at the top of his game, a potential world champion, was snuffed out in a horrific, bloody, body destroying accident. It's not gruesome enough? Note: I won't neg you, because I don't think you meant any harm by it, but that's a sad commentary on society.

Joined: 04/17/2009

MGoPoints: 25038

aaamichfan

February 12th, 2010 at 3:46 PM ^

Of course the fact that he died was gruesome. I was speaking about the video itself. Other posters were portraying this as being a great big bloody mess. There was no visible blood on the video. If this video is so horrific and unfit for human consumption, why did anyone post it in the first place?

Joined: 10/23/2009

MGoPoints: 14362

blueblueblue

February 12th, 2010 at 3:55 PM ^

Blazefire - He didnt say it was not gruesome enough, he said it was less gruesome than he expected. He made no qualitative statement, just a statement comparing what he expected to what he saw. The commentary is your reading into his statement what you wanted to read, presenting a precipitous reaction, and then everyone else following your lead. That is the only commentary here.

Joined: 12/28/2008

MGoPoints: 6630

mtzlblk

February 12th, 2010 at 4:16 PM ^

He probably felt the first bounce on his body, but once he stopped on the pillar, I would imagine it was pretty much over. Even if he still had some form of pulse, I cannot imagine that his brain was processing any kind of pain impulses at that point or any time thereafter. At least I hope not. I would echo other people's sentiments on here in asking 'who the hell designs a track where people can go 95 mph and places a series of metal pillars right next to it?' PAds on the pillar itself i don't think would have done much unless they were very, very thick and efficient in absorbing energy. The only way to make that safe would be to place one long pad along the entire opening to prevent someone from getting to the pillars at all and keep them on the track.

Joined: 01/20/2009

MGoPoints: 5019

BlueintheLou

February 12th, 2010 at 9:07 PM ^

This is what really gets me about the entire situation. First of all, RIP Nodar. Secondly, the design of this track is absolutely appalling. To have a line of five or so steel support pillars uncovered and unprotected coming right out of a major turn is a serious threat and clearly makes them liable for this accident. Why not have a net, that keeps the athletes contained to the track? They must have some design that keeps the racers contained within the track so that no athlete has to encounter a 95mph to 0mph instantaneous collision. The physics of that, I don't even want to know. Serious negligence, IME. Horribly tragic way to start the Olympics. I would not want to be the first one down that track next. RIP Nodar

Joined: 09/13/2008

MGoPoints: 4872

Blazefire

February 12th, 2010 at 3:33 PM ^

The IOC has taken the video down from all the legitimate news sources. I'm not going to go looking for it, same as I refused to ever try to find that beheading video from a few years ago. Ugh... the day anyone WANTS to see this stuff is the day I worry about their sanity.

Joined: 04/17/2009

MGoPoints: 25038

ChitownWolverine82

February 12th, 2010 at 4:31 PM ^

Holy hell people...never again shall I have the audacity to try and upvote myself for what I perceived was a wrongful negbang. This much I promise you. I will work tirelessly to reaffirm my upstanding e-citizenship as part of this MGoBlog community. I promise, from this day forward to check ever single name and fact I post from here on out. No matter the time and effort it takes, I will work until my blog responses are nothing less then perfect. At that time, I will post my opinion, no matter how irrelavent the content has become.

Joined: 03/31/2009

MGoPoints: 1938

mejunglechop

February 12th, 2010 at 3:47 PM ^

I think people watch these videos, even though they know they'll be horrible, because the media and society in general try to tame reality. Watching these videos is an attempt to recapture some vague sense of truth. That's my pop psych theory anyway.

Joined: 07/09/2008

MGoPoints: 6618

jabberwock

February 12th, 2010 at 11:56 PM ^

but I think it described my reasoning (perhaps subconsciously) pretty well. I knew it would be horrible, and difficult to watch. I spent a few minutes thinking about whether I really wanted to put myself through that. And I guess I decided I did. Certainly not for entertainment, but as some kind of dose of reality, or as you stated, a "sense of truth." I was curious, and had to make it "real" for myself. I've lost love ones in sudden tragic accidents before, and the disconnect from reality was almost as disturbing as the shock and grief itself. Watching that was sobering; but I don't regret it.

Joined: 07/04/2008

MGoPoints: 51146

MichMike86

February 12th, 2010 at 4:25 PM ^

Watching that video of the beheading years ago I lost a piece of myself that I can never get back. Never again will I watch something anywhere close to that again. Death should not be viewed for people's entertainment. It is truly horrifying and if you have a soul it will scar you for life.

Joined: 08/04/2009

MGoPoints: -1424

daveheal

February 12th, 2010 at 3:51 PM ^

I mean, I guess this was a freak occurrence, but you would think that if you've got concrete pillars right next to the track that you might have put some padding on them. It's really not inconceivable that a person traveling 90 mph around a bend might end up jumping over the walls of the chute. RIP Nodar.

Joined: 07/18/2008

MGoPoints: 2596

pullin4blue

February 12th, 2010 at 4:17 PM ^

They will have to change the course before competition begins. There've been a lot of accidents because the track is just too fast. The net is probably the best idea as it works well in skiing where athletes in the super-G will reach speeds near 90mph. I don't think they have padding thick enough to cushion a 95 mph crash.

Joined: 08/14/2009

MGoPoints: 1597