Road debris

[PersonaNonGrata]

Two people were killed this morning when a piece of metal went through the windshield of their vehicle.

Link

They don't know where the metal came from and it's sad that they have to consider that someone intentionally threw it but what occured to me was all the pickup trucks I see with unsecured loads. I have visions of a gardener's shovel flying at me on the freeway.

[UCrewX5]

A very sad and tragic situation. I share your concern with vehicles traveling our roads and highways with unsecured loads - an accident waiting to happen

[Chris F.]

I agree.....I hate following a pickup truck on the highway with its tailgate down....usually they have a ladder or something large sticking out the back.

[PersonaNonGrata]

Originally Posted by Chris F.

I agree.....I hate following a pickup truck on the highway with its tailgate down....usually they have a ladder or something large sticking out the back.

It's amazing the things you see either in the back of pickups or on the road. If it's on the road, it probably fell out of a truck. I've seen ladders, luggage, various sacks, and dead animals. Actually, a friend of mine was driving to Disneyland on I-5 when a dog jumped out of a moving truck at freeway speeds. It did not end well and he had to explain to his 5 year old daughter why the doggie wasn't moving. The strangest thing I've seen caused me to call CHP.

Me: "Hello, CHP dispatch?"

CHP: "What seems to be the problem?"

Me: "Yeah, I'm eastbound on the 10 freeway and there's a Laz-E-Boy in the number one lane."

CHP: "A what???"

Me: "A Lay-E-Boy."

CHP: "A lazy boy?"

Me: "You know, a Laz-E-Boy, like a chair, the recliner."

CHP: "Oh! Okay, we'll send someone out."

[UCrewX5]

Originally Posted by PersonaNonGrata

It's amazing the things you see either in the back of pickups or on the road. If it's on the road, it probably fell out of a truck. I've seen ladders, luggage, various sacks, and dead animals. Actually, a friend of mine was driving to Disneyland on I-5 when a dog jumped out of a moving truck at freeway speeds. It did not end well and he had to explain to his 5 year old daughter why the doggie wasn't moving. The strangest thing I've seen caused me to call CHP.

Me: "Hello, CHP dispatch?"

CHP: "What seems to be the problem?"

Me: "Yeah, I'm eastbound on the 10 freeway and there's a Laz-E-Boy in the number one lane."

CHP: "A what???"

Me: "A Lay-E-Boy."

CHP: "A lazy boy?"

Me: "You know, a Laz-E-Boy, like a chair, the recliner."

CHP: "Oh! Okay, we'll send someone out."

[JV]

Originally Posted by PersonaNonGrata

It's amazing the things you see either in the back of pickups or on the road. If it's on the road, it probably fell out of a truck. I've seen ladders, luggage, various sacks, and dead animals. Actually, a friend of mine was driving to Disneyland on I-5 when a dog jumped out of a moving truck at freeway speeds. It did not end well and he had to explain to his 5 year old daughter why the doggie wasn't moving. The strangest thing I've seen caused me to call CHP.

Me: "Hello, CHP dispatch?"

CHP: "What seems to be the problem?"

Me: "Yeah, I'm eastbound on the 10 freeway and there's a Laz-E-Boy in the number one lane."

CHP: "A what???"

Me: "A Lay-E-Boy."

CHP: "A lazy boy?"

Me: "You know, a Laz-E-Boy, like a chair, the recliner."

CHP: "Oh! Okay, we'll send someone out."

HA! Way to go, Kev. Not many people know the lane numbering system, they probably took you seriously because of that!

[rangerfan]

Ya, I'm sure they'll send out the cable company and set up shop watching Nanny 911 and American Idle (le was intentional! ).

[motordavid]

Tragic...talk about the black hand of fate.
Here in HH, Everyone has a pickup, (most are the Jumbo power stroked diesel variety that few can make the payments on).

The bed of nearly every truck here is full of assor'td crap and all the trash from their "yards"; great trash dispersal sys. , along with all the scrap metal and crap, as it blows out the bed of the truck driving down the road. The same locals beef about the Yankees and Floridians building big houses on the mtns and "wrecking their mtns". We pay big taxes and use Zero of the schools or services.
Rant over. Still a tragic deal in that link; I am paranoid riding one of the sleds behind trucks of any size/shape/model.

[Curious Joel]

There are a lot of pickup trucks around here, too... Few bother securing their loads. I always, always get around them as quickly as possible... Some of you may remember last summer when I had an incident with a piece of road debris... I on the 293 in downtown Manchester.. It's a narrow, curvy stretch of highway and I was on it during rush hour. I came around a corner and there was a ladder sitting smack in the middle of the left lane. It was a big ladder, it had fallen off a construction truck (who was backing up in the narrow shoulder to retrieve it)... I had no space on either side to get around it so I had to hit it. Luckily my wheel went right over it and there was no damage, just a loud noise. I've been thinking about that lately... I don't want to think about what would have happened if I was in the 330, not the X5... I know that it wouldn't have cleared the ladder. Once I was on the highway with my mom in a loaner X3 and there was a large truck tire sitting in the middle lane. It's not a good situation when this happens. People need to take the loading of their vehicle seriously.

[LeMansX5]

Originally Posted by PersonaNonGrata

Two people were killed this morning when a piece of metal went through the windshield of their vehicle.

Link

They don't know where the metal came from and it's sad that they have to consider that someone intentionally threw it but what occured to me was all the pickup trucks I see with unsecured loads. I have visions of a gardener's shovel flying at me on the freeway.

PNG, You brought back old memories when I was in same situation and was able to dodge death by inches.

Seven years ago I was driving westbound on QEW in Toronto area. Suddenly I see a 5' x2' scrap metal piece flying off the back of a 18-wheeler and headed straight at me (driver side). Trying to dodge the thing I turned right, avoiding the guy in the lane next to me at the same time. The metal hit the A-pillar in front of me and the windshield shattered. The truck did not stop.

After slowing down quite a bit and noticing the badly bent A-pillar and glass all over the car, something in me said the truck driver is not getting away with this. I stepped on gas and was able to honk-force the truck to stop 2 miles down. Shaking as hell when I pulled over and the truck driver asks me 'what is your problem?' When I told him what happened he climbed to the back of truck and said 'I was not aware that there is unsecured scrap metal in there'.
Had bad whiplash and bruises all over. Spent next 6 months of visits to chiropracter. The experince also reminded me that life can end any second.

Sorry for long story guys....could not resist, blame it on PNG.