When it comes to car accidents, you just never know what may come flying at you. Literally. We all, of course, have to remain alert and aware of the actions of other drivers on the road. The obvious dangers posed by drunk or drowsy drivers, or those distracted by some form of electronic device, are well known.
But erratic behavior on the part of other drivers can have other causes, such as medical emergencies. A person having a heart attack or seizure may have no warning and their vehicle could go crashing off the road, run a stoplight or swerve into an oncoming lane, leaving other drivers confused and with little time to take evasive action.
And then there are mechanical failures which can result in unexpected accidents. Up and down the many hills throughout Pennsylvania, a truck’s brakes can overheat and lead to a runaway vehicle. With some loads, portions of the load may fall off the trailer or pieces of the truck itself may fall off.
A recent crash on I-81 was caused by a southbound truck near Carlisle at exit 52, when one of the wheels separated from the vehicle and it crossed the median and crashed into a northbound vehicle.
The collision knocked the driver unconscious and apparently, caused his foot to have pushed the accelerator, increasing its speed as it hit two other northbound vehicles, ran off the road into a parking lot, and crashed through two fences and struck other vehicles.
The occupants of the vehicle survived the crash, but suffered what are described as “serious injuries” and had to be flown to the Hershey Medical Center.
Being struck by a truck tire moving at highway speeds often cause deadly accidents. The cause is typically the due maintenance personnel failing to properly attach the wheel. While a seemingly simple task, improperly done, it can lead to catastrophic accidents.
Publicopiniononline.com, “2 flown from crash caused by wayward truck wheel,” February 27, 2015