I posted a shorter version of this story in a reply on another thread but thought Id share it with everyone...

As you know, up here in Canada we get some pretty nasty winter weather which brings some scary road conditions, and well its just about that time of year again... I had a great new revelation of this 2 nights ago on my way home from work!!

So Im driving along the highway 11:30 at night with a guy that Im giving a ride home from work, just an ordinary regular night. It had been raining that evening and maybe a bit of wet snow. The road just looked wet though, so I wasnt concerned or anything, but apparently the temperature must have dropped at some point in the night...So we're just driving along having a conversation when all of sudden...

As I was cornering onto an over pass bridge (that I have driven daily for many winters) I felt my back tires slip out on me and before I could even react, we were sent hurling (like a curling rock) down the highway at around 80+ km/h, which for some reason feels alot faster when your going SIDEWAYS, lol. Heading, first, for the concrete barrier on the right side of the highway and then just before we almost hit I cranked the wheel and the truck spun right around and continued sliding sideways again, (passenger side this time), across the center line and towards the barrier on other side of the road, at a high rate of speed. I tried everything to counter-steer and pump the brakes but there was nothing I could do, it was like an ice rink...
I gripped the steering wheel tight and hung on, waiting for the impact, and we slid for like 10 seconds(trust me its a long time when sliding at that speed lol) All I was thinking was F****K MY TRUCK IS DONE, MY TRUCK IS DONE!!!

Then SOMEHOW the truck just stopped, mere inches before hitting the concrete barrier... I couldnt believe we didnt hit!!! How we did not hit and how there was NOT ONE vehicle in the oncoming lanes or EVEN behind me, on ,what is normally a busy stretch of highway at any time, I'll never know... Well actually I do have my theory...

I have a cross hanging from my rear view mirror and it's the first thing my eyes were fixed upon when we came to a stop, it was just swinging back and forth in front of my eyes when I looked up... We both sat there for a second in disbelief, as we SHOULD have hit the barrier at the distance and velocity we were going at it. Then I just started the truck and we kept on our way and NOBODY even saw the whole thing that had just happend... Well I guess the sign before the overpass wasnt lying when it said "Slippery when frosty" lol...

Now here's a weird twist to that story...

The conversation that was going on just seconds before the truck flew out of control was me telling the guy I work with about how this other guy that we work with cranks up the radio at work and listens to this Christian radio show that has this super boring old man preaching about Jesus and the bible. I guess I was kind of mocking him a bit. And the last words that came out of my mouth were "That old guy(that preaches on the radio) is enough to put anybody to sleep.". Literally 2 seconds later, the truck is flying out of control down the highway sideways headed for a concrete barrier!!!

The whole thing really freaked me out as I am a Christian, but I was just meaning that the old fart on the radio could turn people off from Jesus... I guess the Big man upstairs didnt care for the way I presented it to this fellow and had to rattle my cage a bit... Coincidence? I choose not to think so...

Anyway, just wanted to share that little story with you guys. WINTER IS OFFICIALLY HERE where I live!!...time to adjust, especially if you are running M/T's!

 

Glad to hear no-one was hurt, and the truck was in one piece, I take it this was right around Kelowna? for the life of me I cant think of where this would have happened, but it is that time of year, and yea, someone was looking out for you.

Speaking of, hows the new bridge? that ski slope they built looks like it could be fun when it gets slick out. ( floating bridge replacement)

 

It actually happend near Vernon (just down the highway from Kelowna)...

And yes the bridge has freed up alot of the backlog, no more waiting :)
Unfortunately the idiots that run the city want to just SINK the old floating bridge pontoons rather than remove them!! Unbelievable....

 

Glad to hear you're alright, sounds like a fun ride to say the least.

Did you have any weight in the bed or too high of tire pressure?

Glad you still own a Ranger man.

 

Tire pressure is around 30 psi and no weight in the bed yet, I usually wait for the first dump of snow until I bust out the sandbags, but that black ice snuck up on us here before it actually snowed... Its warmed up since that night but trust me im watching the pavement surface more closely now at night when its cold and the sandbags are on standby

Man Im so glad my truck is still in one piece, I just bought new wheels and tires for her :)

 

i hear you i did this last year, nothing like sliding sideways down a high way and looking at the headlights of a semi out your passenger window. i was so lucky lol