NIST scientist killed after high winds cause tree branch to crash through his windshield north of Boulder - Boulder Daily Camera

Jim was a brilliant physicist, a great canoeist and canoe instructor, and a very thoughtful man on all points of philosophy. Unlike many other academically brilliant men, he would also tear down and rebuild his car engines. I will miss him.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I will keep your late friend's family in my prayers.

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For the Saved, this world is the worst it will ever get.
For the unSaved, this world is the best it will ever get.

Clk's Ebay Stuff BUY SOMETHING NOW!!!

sorry to hear

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

Sad. Sorry to hear.

The wind around the front range was insane today. Two houses down from me a large tree has been half removed and I've been eyeing it all day. Sorry to hear of the loss of your friend. Goes to show how precious life is and how quickly it can be lost.

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90 300TE 4-M
Turbo 103, T3/T04E 50 trim
T04B cover .60 AR
Stage 3 turbine .63 AR
A2W I/C, 40 LB/HR
MS2E, 60-2 Direct Coil Control
3" Exh, AEM W/B O2
Underdrive Alt. and P/S Pulleys,
Vented Rear Discs, .034 Booster.
3.07 diffs 1st Gear Start

90 300CE 104.980
Milled & ported head, 10.3:1 compression
197° intake cam w/20° advancer
Tuned CIS ECU
4° ignition advance
PCS TCM2000, built 722.6
600W networked suction fan
Sportline sway bars
V8 rear subframe, Quaife ATB 3.06 diff

Oh man, I am so sorry for your friendand his family. What a fine man to have saved his wife from injury like that at the moment of his death.

What a freak accident!!



I was a little freaked out because I also have a car I just bought which is exactly the same as his death car, a 2011 Subaru Outback. (seen above in Los Angeles a few weeks ago with my black coupe here) One reason I got it is that it was very safe but who could have imagined *this*?

Oh, you could win the Nobel prize TODAY, and tomorrow get run over by a garbage truck.

We never know when our time is up.

This is a tragedy. I am very sorry for the loss of your friend.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

I drove 7 hours in the windstorm today from Santa Fe to Denver. A number of times I considered whether I should stop or not. Debris was flying everywhere. I saw one speed limit sign hanging by just one remaining bolt on post on the left shoulder. It looked to me as if it could fly into the traffic lane at any moment. I continued driving and I survived. Jim had driven just a few miles from home but his luck ran out.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

You must be wore out, maybe you should get some rest my friend.

__________________
For the Saved, this world is the worst it will ever get.
For the unSaved, this world is the best it will ever get.

Clk's Ebay Stuff BUY SOMETHING NOW!!!

Sorry to here. Sounded like a real nice guy.
Down here we have large red gums that regularly drop large limbs for no reason. Mainly at the end of a hot day. There have been many court cases against local authorities for not keeping the limbs trimmed. Most know not to park under a red gum.

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

Sorry to hear about your friend, Kerry.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Sorry to hear about your friend, unexpected losses are always hard on the soul. I've lost several close friends and relatives over the years and one thing remains certain; when it's your time, it's your time. I always try to think of the positive, he has no more pain, no bills, no troubles. When they say "Laid to rest", it always sounds so peaceful, they are gone but not forgotten......

Wind is no joke in Western Kansas and East of the Rockies. I was driving my old Jeep (2004 Rubicon, very high center of gravity) back from the mountains and was bracing against 80 MPH gusts. Multiple tractor-trailers tipped over, but thankfully I wasn't under them and there wasn't much debris flying around. It was the only time in my life that I was genuinely afraid for me life.

Considering that I log about 40,000 miles a year and have never had a serious incident I consider myself very lucky. The story kind of reminds me of Steve Irwin ripping the barb out of his chest after getting mortally wounded. Obviously he was an incredible person to not have panicked in those final moments.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

It just shows that something totally unexpected can take you out. Time to make sure wills, living wills, financial powers of attorney, etc are current and the people involved know where to find them. Life insurance isn't a bad idea either....

It does not matter what make of car you are driving when an object penetrates the windshield.

I know of several deaths of this type, the first one that comes to mind is the film director Alan Pakula who was driving a Volvo SW on the Long Island Expressway when a 4" diameter pipe came off a truck on the opposite side of the road and it crossed the median in the air and came thru the glass and killed him.

Unless you have the equivalent of bulletproof laminate lexan or mylar over an inch thick, nothing will stop an incursion of this sort.

Condolences for your loss, but the car he chose had nothing to do with his survival/demise.

Sorry for the loss of your friend kerry.

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Jim