Just because your truck has traction control does not mean you can speed through slick turns. Use common sense and slow down in the rain! I'm glad they were not hurt. I hope everyone learns a lesson from crash. I'm also glad that the newspaper is not calling the crash an "accident".

Definition of an accident is that it wasn't meant to happen. Definition of a crash is hitting something.

I am assuming that the driver didn't meant to do this so it was definitely accidental. If he hit the guardrail then it was a crash against the guardrail, if he rolled and hit nothing then how could it be called crashing?

A collision also involves hitting something.

I would call this an accident as there was no intention on behalf of the driver in rolling over even if he was driving too fast.

I suppose the correct call would be to call it a roll over, but to some people that might sound deliberate. So perhaps accidental roll over?

What if this huge vehicle had skidded into another vehicle...like a smaller car...wow. Better slow down.

I disagree with @Resident. If a collision is easily preventable through safe common-sense driving, then it is no accident. Reckless driving is not an accident just like drunk driving is not an accident.

Just think how upset people would be if cyclists were causing this much chaos on the roads. Why I saw one run a stop sign just this morning...causing issue to nobody, but that's not the point. He IRRITATED me!!!

Using 4WD in Palo Alto is completely unnecessary; he must have been driving too fast. We moved from snow country so I drove a Suburban here for 5 years. People always yielded to me, assuming I was a lunatic, power-hungry driver. This driver just fed into the stereotype - shame on him.

Too fast for the conditions...
It's not the 4wheel 's fault.

The southbound on-ramp to 101 at Embarcadero has a huge climb. The driver should have had his snow chains mounted on his tires for better traction.

For some reason drivers think 4WD is some kind of miracle which allows them to drive carelessly. The same laws of physics apply to 4WD SUV's as any other vehicle.

So ... uh, who pays for any damages in this case. It's clearly the negligence for the driver ... shouldn't his insurance company cover anything like rebuilding the guardrail?

And speaking of guardrails, I keep noticing that the Alma overpass at Embarcadero was run into and is missing a big chunk? Is that ever going to be fixed ... and if so, when ... and how?

Another Palo Alto resident in a rush to get their Starbucks. See? This is what happens....

Agree w/ previous posters on this thread: 4WD or AWD will not prevent sliding or hydroplaning in the rain and on wet surfaces. The driver is totally clueless on that aspect of driving.

Outside of not paying attention to where he was going (he said he was trying to switch to 4WD - perhaps not looking at the road) and given the results of his foray into the weeds, excessive speed for the weather and wet road surface had to be the problem.

@ Jean: What proof do you have that the driver is a PA resident? Whenever an accident happens on a PA street, why is it that everyone assumes that it was PA resident? Newsflash - PA does not have a monopoly on bad drivers, bad bicyclists, bad pedestrians, over-sized SUVs, clueless Prius drivers, etc., etc.

Was the road wet when this happened? I barely recall yesterday, but I didn't think it started to rain til later.

CPD - yeah, it's not like there are other bad drivers that exit and enter the freeway via PA who live elsewhere!

When I had an AWD vehicle, I don't recall using it in rainy weather on pavement. Did I miss a fabulous opportunity to make driving more fun?

> CHP Redwood City spokesman Officer Moises Escoto said that speed
> was likely a factor.

Speed is always a factor. Just read the accident reports, and that fact comes through in spades.

> remain anonymous ..

Why should anyone be allowed to remain anonymous who has endangered the lives of other motorists, and destroyed public property.

@Wondering - they are allowed to remain anonymous because the cops are too wimpy to charge them for reckless driving and property damage. If the cops did not personally witness an obvious infraction, they generally only cite or charge for DUI or vehicular manslaughter. Anything less is the driver goes free (perhaps with an insurance rate hike).