>Looking at that same photo of the Volvo, you can see the right front
>corner of the hood in the background, still horizontal, pretty much
>in it's original position (albeit a bit bent up). From this view it
>does seem that the hood and engine compartment are still intact...

http://www.251.org/volvocrash.html
http://v-dub.musa.com/volvocrash.html

I'm sitting here with the images on-screen (clearer than in a 600dpi
b&w printout).

What Dave saw as the Volvo's hood is a reflection on the wet concrete
beyond the car. The hood can be seen as a vertical remnant folded up
against what was once the firewall. The entire front-end has failed
and is an unrecognizable tangle of wreckage.

Shame the images don't show the complete front-ends of either
vehicle. Wonder if any listee can get hold of better views?

>i looked at the pics again (the little "film reel")   hmmm...dunno..sure
>looks to me like the vanagon jumped and rode up over the hood, and the front
>wheels came off the ground, and the vanagon's front bumper plowed right into
>the volvo's windshield....   but , hey, i'm no expert in "auto forensics".  :<

Get a ruler and measure from the bottom of the van's FRONT tire to
the bottom of each frame. You will find the distance the same on all
frames, indicating that the front tires did not leave the ground..
The camera is a fixed one, so it did not move, as can be see by the
splotches on the concrete in the right foreground.. The  rear tires
did leave the ground, but this in no way affected the front, apart
from allowing the bus to spin a few degrees to the left.
--
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut