MTFCA Forum

Storyful 3-27-23 (On Yahoo News today)
Headline: Tire Shoots Off Truck and Flips Car on Los Angeles Freeway

The front left wheel came off a pickup on the freeway just ahead of a Kia SUV. The Kia went over the rolling wheel and was launched into the air, flipped, and came down on its top, then rolled and landed on its wheels. As the Kia slid to a stop, the wheel caught up with it and slammed into the rear of the wreck. No one was seriously injured. [Storyful article seen on Yahoo News with video of crash sequence]

It looks like a very well staged movie stunt, but it isn't.

Check your lug nuts.

I watched that video this morning. That was crazy scary for the Kia driver.

Things have happened. When I worked for the Telephone Co. one of the line trucks lost the dual wheels on one side and they went rolling along ahead of the truck. The driver had it towed to a local Ford Dealer. That dealer had a contract with the company to do their repairs. After the truck was fixed, about a week later the wheels came off again.
Then the dealer gave coupons to all the crew that they could use for a discount on a new car. The same driver went down to the Ford dealer and bid on a new car. they talked down the price. Then he asked for his discount. He was told, the price they had talked about was the lowest he could offer. No discount. But he said they had the best service in town. They trained all their new mechanics on Telephone company vehicles!.
My friend went to a different Ford dealer to buy his new car!
Norm

My brother and Dad went over to Palo Pinto county many years ago to cut a native cedar for a Christmas tree. They wandered about a quarter mile off Highway 180 looking for the "right" tree, and came across an OTR truck wheel and tire. The center of the wheel was damaged from having run with the lugs loose. It had come off a truck or trailer, vaulted the barbed wire fence, and rolled over rough ground through thick cedar brush for a good 1/4 mile before coming to a stop. If it had hit an oncoming car, it would have been a mess.

I retired after 25 years driving a semi for one of the two largest package delivery companies. We were well trained to perform a through pretrip inspection and allowed twenty minutes to do so at the start of each shift. Unfortunately some drivers would rather spend that time BSing with other drivers.

It is a habit that continues in my retirement, before I get in to drive, I turn on the lights and walk all the way around the vehicle visually inspecting. Finding a nail in your tire when parked in your driveway is way better than changing the tire on the side of a busy road in the dark.