What a tragedy

[bdog]

In my hometown earlier this week an 80 year old married couple was driving on the loop around town in a small car and someone's receiver hitch fell out bounced up and went through the windshield. It struck the wife who was in the passenger seat and killed her. Police have still not located the vehicle it cam from.

 

[two_bit_score]

And they were just passing through town:
81-year-old woman dies of her injuries after tow hitch comes thr - KXXV-TV News Channel 25 - Central Texas News and Weather for Waco, Temple, Killeen |



TBS

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

That is terrible. Two seconds earlier or later and the results probably would have been different.

Something similar happened in Dallas a few years ago. A tire came out of a trailer or pickup bed and bounced right through someone's windshield on the freeway and killed them.

 

[buickanddeere]

Father-inlaw had to respond to a couple on a motorcycle that had passed a trailer loaded with plywood but not tied down. The Husband driving was fine but the passenger wife lost the top off her head.

 

[PILOON]

I've had 2 near misses that could have ended up like that.

First was a wheel that detached itself from a semi traveling in the opposite lane and came right at me but thankfully missed.
Second was a bumper that fell off of a scrappers truck. That one glanced off of my windshield corner post creating an insurance claim.

Both required a change of shorts.

 

[CalG]

I as the "fortunate"follower of a rendering truck loaded to capacity and then some.

As a corner on the mountain road was being negotiated, about 100 pounds of offal fell out. Took quite a swerve to avoid a real mess.

Massachusetts law has it unlawful to have a removable hitch mounted when NOT pulling a trailer.

Stow that hitch!

 

[Creamer]

How quick things can happen and life changes. I had a friend that had a cap come of a truck tires and go through her windshield and land in her passenger seat. Other than sprayed with broken safety glass she was not hurt but fortunately she got he car stropped safely. The truck probably never knew it happened.

 

[jerrybob]

Several years back in So. Calif.......my wife was on the freeway in her little Honda CRX......a guy driving in the fast lane towing an aluminum boat was going about 65mph.......the boat came off the trailer and bounced off the side of a pick up then flew into the side of my wife's car. Luckily.....that boat didn't fly up through the windshield. The gash on the side of her car was something to see......looked like someone took and old fashion can opener and went from the front bumper all the way through the front quarter panel. Lot of people stopped to help......a highway patrol car was back a few cars and saw the whole thing. My wife was lucky!

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Massachusetts law has it unlawful to have a removable hitch mounted when NOT pulling a trailer.

Stow that hitch!

And what is the section number of this law?

David

 

[Wagtail]

Massachusetts law has it unlawful to have a removable hitch mounted when NOT pulling a trailer.

Stow that hitch!

I agree with David 'cause if true it's a silly law. I mean, why?

The average person would 'stow' the hitch (if a ute) behind the front seats = a projectile in the case of an impact. The only reason that I can conceive of a reason for any 'law' such as this would be due to fender-bender damage due to parking incidents, not it coming off and flying through someones windscreen.