Coming upon a smashed $70K truck.

[Jehanne]

I was going north yesterday evening on I-380 during a winter weather advisory around 40 to 45 mph, and a nice, expensive truck passed us in the left lane probably going 60 to 65 mph.  After 10 or so miles, I passed the Iowa DOT sign that read, "Car crash...Ramp 19".  Sure enough the beautiful truck (which appeared to be new) had exited onto a down ramp and it's entire front end was missing; no ambulance, but the Cedar Rapids police where there with the tow truck.  As the guy passed me, I could not help but think of these equations, even more so after I passed the remains of his truck:



Hyperphysics -- Mass on Frictionless Incline

Having lived in Iowa my entire life I cannot recall the number of incidents of fast pickup trucks passing me at high speed on 100% snow & ice covered roads, and so, please consider this post to be a PSA.  For those who are not interested in kinematics, please note what term is missing in the final equation from the above.

You thought of the wrong equation.

Boru

Which one would be more correct? Or, a better description?