Please makesure the hitch is on the ball.

[two_bit_score]

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

A woman died after her truck was pushed off the road by the trailer she was towing Tuesday morning, causing the vehicle to collide with a tree, according to a report filed by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Tracy Lynn Dailey, 37, of Bronson, was northbound on FM 226 1.4 miles south of Woden at about 10:15 a.m. when the trailer she was pulling came off the towing ball of the truck and pushed against the bumper, according to DPS Trooper Keith Jones.

"The horse trailer tongue was locked and the pin was through it, but it was never on the ball," Jones, who investigated the wreck, said. "It was sitting on top of the ball, and safety chains were hooked. The breakaway device was hooked up, but the tongue eventually slipped off the ball, and as she was pulling it down the road, the trailer was pushing her."

On the scene, the truck had to be pulled away from a tree about 10 feet off the roadway where it had come to a halt and had lodged against the driver side door. Nacogdoches Fire Department responded to the scene with the Jaws of Life that were used to pry off the door that had become mangled by the impact.

Dailey was trapped in the vehicle for almost half an hour while crews worked to free her from the cab of the truck.

Dailey was taken to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead by Dr. Eulogio Ouano Bonsukan at 11:39 a.m., according to the reports.

The report stated that her seatbelt was worn at the time of the accident.

 

[BruceWard]

That is terrible. I had an unloaded equipment trailer jump off the ball after going over a bump a few months ago. I beleive that I had not seated it properly. The tongue of the trailer went under the rear bumper of my truck. The only damage was that I needed to rewire the 7 pin electrical connector.

 

[two_bit_score]

That is terrible. I had an unloaded equipment trailer jump off the ball after going over a bump a few months ago. I beleive that I had not seated it properly. The tongue of the trailer went under the rear bumper of my truck. The only damage was that I needed to rewire the 7 pin electrical connector.

You are right, Bruce, it's terrible. I posted it because it's something that happened to someone I know too. Just lucky they were only pulling a small utility trailer. But, they drove from Austin to San Antonio on I-35 in 70-80mph traffic with the hitch on top of the ball and it never came off. Luckily I found it when they got to San Antonio and before we loaded the trailer.

It's easier to do than one might think.

 

[ultrarunner]

When I was 17 I agreed to transport a horse to the UC Davis Medical Center with my truck... the owner of the horse had the trailer.

I thought he had secured the trailer and didn't do my own check...

I pulled on highway 80 and about a minute later a trucker pulled along side and got my attention... He was say pull over, pull over.

I did and found the trailer was sitting unlatched on the ball and the safety chains were dragging... I turned white as a sheet just thinking what could have happened.

Ever since I check my trailer connection each time before I get and drive off...

Last year there was a story about local kids that would unhook trailers for "Fun"

 

[JB4310]

Um am I missing something here? just cause the trailer came off the ball why would that push the truck off the road?

It says all the chains were hooked up so I'm assuming wire jack also. brakes would still work unless it had surge brakes but then it says it was pushing against the bumper, so surge brakes would still work?

Must of been a heavy trailer that started tracking off to the side and PULLED the rear of the truck sideways enough to cause her to loose control, of course this is speculation but for that to happen the chains would of had to be to long. Chains are supposed to be able to support the tongue of the trailer preventing it from even touching the ground, not always possible I know. I just don't think "the trailer was pushing her" sounds right.

I drove about 5 miles with my equipment trailer all chained and wired but forgot to close the pintle, ring just rode on the open hook all the way! That was a wake up call, now as soon as I drop the ring on the hook I close and lock it, even before lifting the jack all the way up, and before fooling around with chains or wires.

 

[lungdoc]

We had a scary experience a few years ago - taking a pontoon boat in for trade in, going on a bumpy road. The trailer came off ball - wasn't tightened enough. Swayed viciously then snapped chains and harpooned the back of the truck, fortunately it sliced through rear paneling and poked into rear left tire which shredded but jammed the tongue allowing us to brake to a nice controlled stop and fix at side of road. Could easily have gone VERY wrong as a 28' pontoon boat. I learned the useful fact that the nut for the neck of the trailer latch adjustment is the same as many tire wheel nuts so tire iron worked to tighten. SInce then I always check it's a snug latch especially on bumpy rides.

 

[two_bit_score]

I gotta tell a story on my Dad here. We're just really glad he never had consequences like the lady mentioned in the story.

He took a bull to the slae one day and drove about 40 miles to the sale with a big, heavy bull in a small trailer. Unloaded the bull and when he got ready to pull out of the loading area the bulldog hitch just basically fell apart. My brother had to drive over with another one and weld it on. Had that hitch fell apart on the road before he got to the slae barn I hate to think about it.

 

[JoelD]

This is an excellent post and something that happens all the time.

Me:

Towing my 14 foot utility trailer, tongue on ball, tongue latch up instead of down. Pure luck it did not jump the ball.

Towing my 18 foot tri-axle with 6K backhoe, forgot to latch pintle, again, dumb luck it did not jump out of the pintle.

Towing my 14 foot utility at town fair, loaded with people behind my tractor, no chains, again tongue not latched down, again dumb luck it did not jump the ball while loading or unloading passengers.

Would be great if someone could rig up a warning buzzer or the like.

Joel

 

[The Haymaker]

Gets hard on tailgates too!

 

[chopped]

In my opinion the pintle is easier to be sure its locked.