PICNIC TRAGEDY

In the mountains between France and Spain, there are some hairpin bends on major mountain roads which are notorious accident blackspots, especially for truck drivers. So on most of these bends, uphill safety ramps have been placed for trucks with failed brakes to make an emergency stop. One day, a truck driver with a particularly heavy load was driving from Paris to Madrid along the mountain road. He had managed the ascent fine, but as the truck sped downhill, the driver realised he had lost his brakes. As the truck careered down the busy road, the driver flashed his lights and tooted his horn, swerving all over the road to avoid the other cars. The driver was relieved when he eventually saw a sign stating that there was a safety ramp just around the corner and he successfully manoeuvred the speeding truck around the tight corner. As he went up the ramp, however, he ran right into a family of American tourists having a picnic, killing them all instantly.

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