It's almost always the same thing

[timswi]

Urban sculptor killed by breakaway trailer

Everybody together...Safety chains not used or not properly applied.

Why does this kind of thing happen? Most of a family was killed by a commercial wood chipper that broadsided their minivan a couple of years ago. The guy hauling it was on something and didn't bother with chains..As soon as the news broke, I could pretty much say how that one happened too.

Don't know anything about this guy, but he didn't need to go this way and neither did the father and a couple of kids in the van.

Everyone needs to be paraniod about the truck to trailer connection...I am beyond OCD on that one...I jack the trailer up once it's latched, just to be sure. Then the chains are checked 3 times. Lives are not worth 10 saved minutes of anyone's time.

I hath spaken. :mur::

 

[kebo]

How unfortunate, I feel for his family and friends.

I recall a few years ago I was getting my two dachshunds vaccinated (it was one of those pet med mobile deals) in the parking lot at a stripmall with a very busy intersection right in front of us. While standing in line, I suddenly become aware of the sound of metal on pavement. I look up from my dogs to see an unguided utility trailer maybe 5x10 going through the intersection all by itself, with the coupler eating the pavement and shooting sparks. A small truck had made a left turn (apparently he had a green turn signal and didn't have to yield to any oncoming traffic) and the trailer came loose just as he turned left. Fortunately the trailer pretty much went straight through it and ground to a halt by itself without hitting anything.

An embarrased driver got turned around and caught up to it, hitched it up again, and took off. This sort of stuff happens probably more than you think it does.

 

[Diamondpilot]

My uncle had a boat trailer come off on the boat ramp. He had the safety chains secured and that was enough to stop it but it took about a dozen guys to get it hitched back up on that 30 deg or so incline.

Chris

 

[mojoinco]

You may call me Mr Dumass. Somehow managed to put the pin in without going through the ball carrier (the aluminum adjustable height unit). Glad I had the chains on as the ball carrier (actually, the 2" ball) ground down on one side. Scary, had to peel the wife off of the ceiling (did you know that female hair -- when scared cooked -- sticks to a cloth headliner like velcro?).

Then I have a buddy that follows the old wives tale he got from his dad or granddad: only hook a single chain from the left side of the tongue to the right side of the bumper so you fling the trailer off of the road and out of traffic in the event it comes off of the hitch.

Might just be into some park or family's living room, or bunch of kids playing in the front yard. You can't tell otherwise smart folks anything sometimes.