Might be time for a merge. I've counted three threads about this so far.

 

RIP-- That is very sad..

 

I wonder what happened if he never applied the brakes, my first thoughts is that he may have been suicidal but he also could have passed out or had some kind of medical problem. Either way thats sad.

 

I was thinking that might come out as I did not see any skid marks befroe the curb and the line from the ramp is wrong if the guy was just hot *******- I would think he would have tried to power slide onto Universal from the ramp and thus his car would have slid sideways into the wall but from the pics it looks as if he went head on into the curb and wall from the ramp. I do wonder about the swerving and cutting off other drivers which would indicate he was alert at that point. I knew someone that was trying to drive himself to the hospitol while having a heart attack-he also made it to the off ramp before he lost conscience (sp?) and unfortunatly it ended in a firery crash.

 

I'm thinking it has to be medical related. Simply because he was seatbelted. This would mean to me that since there were no apparent attempt to unrestrain himself, that he may have either blacked out or passed away prior to the plunge into the water.

We can only speculate until there is more information, however we can also hope that he had passed on without pain or fear prior to the accident.

 

 

Based on the 80 ft drop, the MINI would have smashed onto the surface of the water at nearly 50 mph downward vertical velocity in just a bit over two seconds of falling. Not much time to comprehend what was happening, let alone react...and it would be a pretty severe impact at that fall velocity. Not very survivable.

 

Indeed tragic.

I wonder, though--mechanical failure? Tire? The paper didn't say what year the MINI was, but there was a recent thread about control arms snapping in the earlier MINIs--the OP had a very close call, and a few others had had theirs break, too.

My grandfather had a stroke while driving in the Idaho mountains. His foot jammed on the accelerator and they crashed through the guard rail. He died; my grandmother survived, although she was trapped for 8 hours because no one saw the crash.

Medical and mechanical problems happen, I'm afraid. This really doesn't sound like suicide, and they've apparently ruled out drinking. Not a typical speed story, either.

 

"Eyewitnesses said they never even saw 37-year-old Scot A. Morrison's brake lights when he sped off the Universal exit along I-4."
Mini's are good, but they can't defeat the laws of physics. Be careful out there.
-s-

 

So sad so sad. I really hope they can find an answer for this tragic event. I hate to think he did it on purpose.

 

man that sucks...but does sound like something was wrong with him if he never attempted to stop..could have been an emergency, for him to be driving like that..but only as my speculations.
p.s poor one for the hommies..

 

It appears to me that he had a medical glitch. I've heard of people having heart attacks (or whatever), then the car goes in a strange direction at full speed. If he was in control, why go over the median? Keep an eye on the medical report, as in NOT dying from drowning, impact, etc. This just doesn't look like a speed demon.

Still tragic, say a prayer.

 

Hi folks- I found your site as I was looking for info on my friend Scot. I joined to say thanks for your kind words. His late Dad used to own a couple of car dealerships and he gave Scot his Mini before he passed a few years ago.
Anyway, thanks again and I'll let you know if we hear anything about how and why. Be safe out there... Rick B. VT

 

bump for the Mini fans...

 

Thanks for the info R_Bandito....so sorry to hear about your friend...my condolences...

 

Yeah, thanks for dropping in and condolences for losing a friend.

 

Come on guys....Do you guys really own a MINI?.....It is completely plausible that there was nothing wrong with him besides his judgement and ability to negotiate the curve. Honestly I chuckled when I read...though the outcome was not funny

"Eyewitnesses said they never even saw ...... brake lights when he sped off the Universal exit along I-4."

Because this sounds like every ramp or curve I take (except the outcome)...pushing the car hard through the cloverleaf or on a diminishing radius ramp is what alot of enthusiasts make frequent practice of....It is the very essence of what makes the car fun to drive. There is no mention of the speed but judging from what little of the scene I saw I would bet that excessive speed is a better description than spirited driving I would be suprised if this was nothing more

BTW....I just have to point this out because it really bugs me ...The eyewitnesses were NOT cutoff! In order to be cutoff the cutter has to be going SLOWER than he who is cut....Cutoff is when you are moving FASTER and a slower vehicle moves to be an obstruction and you must react or there will be an accident....If a faster vehicle moves in front of you there is no action needed by either party to avoid anything, how close they come to your bumper in the lane change is irrelevant because they are moving away from you at a higher rate of speed....I doubt the eyewitneses were cutoff