>> Man: BASICALLY CROSSED OVER FOUR LANES.
FOUR LANES. AND JUST GOES RIGHT INTO THE
GUARD RAIL.
GUARD RAIL. AND AT SOME POINT YOU CAN
LITERALLY SEE THE BRIGHT
LIGHTS.
LIGHTS. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE ALL I SEE IS
GOING STRAIGHT OUT THE BACK OF
THE SUV.
THE SUV. >> Reporter: A DETROIT MAN THIS
IS A CRASH HIS FAMILY BLAMING
THE GUARD RAIL HIS CAR HIT.
TONIGHT THE DEFENDERS EXPOSING
THE ISSUE AND REVEALING SIMILAR
GUARDRAILS ARE ISSUED.
IN METRO DETROIT.
AS WE BEGIN THE SUMMER TRAVEL
SYSTEM THERE IS A GROWING
CONCERN TONIGHT ABOUT A
POTENTIAL DEADLY HAZARD ON THE
ROADS.
ROADS. >> THREE LAWSUITS HAVE BEEN
FILED CLAIMING A CERTAIN TYPE
OF GUARDRAIL AND SPEAR INTO THE
VEHICLE SIDE IMPACT CAUSING
INJURY MAYBE EVEN DEATH.
THE DEFENDERS DID DIGGING TO
SEE IF THEY ARE BEING USED IN
MICHIGAN?
MICHIGAN? THE MAJORITY FOUND IN METRO
DETROIT.
DETROIT. LET’S START WITH THE DEATH OF
WILLIAM BRADFORD FORMER DETROIT
SCHOOLTEACHER DIED WHEN HIS CAR
HIT IN X LIKE GUARDRAIL.
>> 69-YEAR-OLD WILLIAM BYRD WAS
HEADED TO THE FUNERAL DRIVING
THROUGH CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE,
IN THIS RED SUV WHEN THE CAR.
OFF THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO X
LIKE GUARDRAIL.
LIKE GUARDRAIL. >> Man: ALL I SEE IS METAL TO
BE STRAIGHT OUT THE BACK OF MY
KIDS VEHICLE.
KIDS VEHICLE. MY DAD WAS DEAD ON ARRIVAL.
>> Reporter: WELCOME BYRD IS
NOT THE ONLY FAMILY MEMBER
MOURNING THE DEATH OF A LOVED
ONE KILLED AFTER HITTING A X
LIGHT GUARDRAIL.
LIGHT GUARDRAIL. MARTINEZ WAS DRIVING WITH HIS
BROTHER IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
WHEN HE SWERVED OFF THE FREEWAY
AND WIPED OUT 60 FEET OF
GUARDRAIL POST BEFORE STOPPING.
MARTINEZ WAS NOT WEARING A
SEATBELT.
SEATBELT. >> Man: IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT.
>> Reporter: HIGHWAY PATROL
SHOWED A GUARDRAIL PIERCED
MARTINEZ WINDOW RIPPING OUT THE
HEAD REST OF THE DRIVER SEAT.
HE COULD BE SEEN COMING OUT THE
BACK WINDOW.
BACK WINDOW. ACCORDING TO CHP THE GUARDRAIL
MARTINEZ HIT WAS A TERMINAL
MADE BY LINDSAY TRANSPORTATION
SOLUTIONS BUT WHEN A CAR HITS
THE GUARDRAIL THE CAP IS
SUPPOSED TO ACT LIKE AN
ACCORDION AND ABSORB THE CARS
IMPACT.
IMPACT. THIS VIDEO OBTAINED FROM
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
SHOW SAFETY TEST FOOTAGE OF A
VEHICLE CRASHING INTO A
GUARDRAIL.
GUARDRAIL. AND WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE
BEEN DURING A COLLISION.
INVESTIGATION PHOTO SHOW
SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENED IN THE
MARTINEZ CRASH.
MARTINEZ CRASH. THE BIRD CRASH AS WELL AS
ANOTHER CRASH IN TENNESSEE.
ITH 17-YEAR-OLD HANNAH IVERS
CAR WENT OFF THE ROAD COLLIDING
WITH THEM X LIGHT GUARDRAIL.
>> A GUARDRAIL PIERCED HER CAR
AND SHE WAS KILLED INSTANTLY.
>> THE LOCAL 4 TALK TO LINDSAY
AND THE COMPANY STATED IN PART
THAT THE GUARDRAILS PAST
CRASHES SAFETY TEST IN
ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL HIGHWAY
ADMINISTRATION STANDARDS.
ADMINISTRATION STANDARDS. NO GUARDRAIL AND SYSTEM CAN
PREVENT EVERY TRAGEDY.
>> Man: SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
>> THEY SAY THAT THE X-LITE
DELTA PERFORMANCE SAFETY
FUNCTION.
FUNCTION. 60 FEET OF GUARDRAIL PIERCED
THROUGH THE VEHICLE WERE WILBUR
BYRD WAS SITTING.
FINALLY STRIKING BYRD CAUSING
HIM TO SUFFER NO INJURIES.
>> Woman: WE HAVE SEARCH
RECORDS.
RECORDS. AND THESE TYPES OF GUARDRAILS
ARE IN MICHIGAN.
>> Man: IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE
ME ONE BIT.
>> Reporter: IT DOESN’T?
>> Man: NO.
>> Reporter: THE DEFENDERS
OBTAINED RECORDS FROM THE
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION SAYING THERE ARE
90 X-LITE STATION POINT THE
MAJORITY IN METRO DETROIT BUT
THERE ARE 77 IN TOTAL ALONG THE
I-275 CORRIDOR BETWEEN I-96 AND
I TO 76 AND FIVE MILE ROAD. >>
Man: WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
LISTEN PUT TO FOUR PERCENT OF
TOTAL CONSISTENCY X-LITE
GUARDRAIL ENDING?
GUARDRAIL ENDING? IF OF THIS DOCUMENT DATED
FEBRUARY 2018.
FEBRUARY 2018. STATING EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
AND UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
DAMAGED X-LITE CANNOT BE
REPLACED WITH THE X-LITE.
WE HAVE 90 IN THE STATE MOST
ALONG IT 75.
THE QUESTION, WHY TAKE THE
CHANCE?
CHANCE? >> Man: MDOT IS IN THE PROCESS
OF REVIEWING THE PERFORMANCE OF
X-LITE.
X-LITE. WE UNDERSTAND OTHER STATES HAVE
HAD ISSUES BUT WE ARE BEING
CAUTIOUS.
CAUTIOUS. BUT WE NEED TO COMPLETE OUR
REVIEW TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW
WHAT OUR NEXT MOVE IS.
>> Reporter: AS THE STATE
REMAINS CAUTIOUS MALCOLM BYRD
THAT EVERY DRIVER IS TO BE
CAUTIOUS AS WELL.
>> Man: ALL I CAN SAY IS I
WOULD NOT WISH WHAT I AM GOING
THROUGH ON ANYBODY.
>> Reporter: WE JUST RECEIVED A
STATEMENT FROM LINDSAY
TRANSPORTATION SOLUTION FOR
THOSE OF THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY
HAS EXAMINED AND RE-EXAMINED
THE X-LITE AND HAS ADDED INPUT
FROM STATE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS.
THE EVALUATIONS, THE X-LITE
HOUSE PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY