TRAVELING AT 25-30 MPH ON A DRY, GRASS COVERED ROAD, APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN, NO BRAKING OCCURRED; I THEN PUSHED ON THE BRAKES AS HARD AS I COULD, I FELT THE ABS PULSATING, BEGAN TO HEAR A "CLUNKING" SOUND AND FEEL A CLICKING IN MY BRAKE PEDAL MATCHING THE TIMING OF THE CLUNKING SOUND. SINCE THE BRAKES WERE NOT RESPONDING I THEN TURNED THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE TRUCK, IT DID NOT RESPOND; I THEN TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, NO RESPONSE. THE TRUCK CONTINUED STRAIGHT INTO A TREE, HEAD ON COLLISION. NOT WATCHING THE SPEED I ASSUME I WAS DOING 20-25MPH WHEN THE TRUCK HIT THE TREE, NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. AFTER THE COLLISION, WHEN PREPARING FOR THE TOW, IT WAS OBSERVED THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS DISCONNECTED AT MID-WAY OF THE TRUCK, NOT SNAPPED, JUST OFF. THIS SEEMED A STRANGE RESULT WITH A HEAD-ON COLLISION; THE TOW DRIVER MADE THE SAME OBSERVATION. *DT *DT*JB
NHTSA ODI 11191681