There’s no telling what will happen to you out on the highways and byways of America on any given day. That’s the truth as two Massachusetts motorists learned yesterday when an ax tumbled off the back of a landscaping truck at highway speeds and nearly killed the lady in the passenger seat. The thing appears to have been on a line directly for her face and was only stopped by the windshield. That would have been some serious upholstery cleaning work if the thing had made it through the glass.
Years ago when I was driving a water truck for a living, I had a load of those 5-gallong water cooler bottles and a motorist approached my excitedly pointing his hands toward the rear of the truck. I waved and ignored him and then something caught my eye. The bottles had come out of their crates and were launching like depth charges out of the back of the truck! Thankfully I did not have any issues, but I can understand how this happened. You’re in a rush, you put the equipment down, drive off and WHAMO it nearly kills a lady. Be careful out there.
HERE’S THE ACCOUNT OF THE SITUATION FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE FACEBOOK PAGE –
These motorists, whom we are not identifying, endured a very frightening moment shortly before 11 a.m. today as they were driving on Route 95 southbound in Topsfield. A landscaper driving a dump truck in front of them had failed to properly secure an axe, which flew off the truck and struck the windshield of the car behind it. Thankfully, the axe only went halfway through the windshield. The passenger who is partially seen in the photo was shaken up (who wouldn’t be?) but not injured. Trooper Joseph Risteen of the Newbury Barracks responded to the scene and cited the truck driver, who is from Peabody, for failure to secure cargo, which carries a $200 fine. Two important lessons here: 1.) Contractors and all other motorists are reminded to properly secure items they are transporting, including tools, building materials, bicycles, canoes, luggage, furniture, beach chairs, and the like. 2.) The man whose car was struck was obeying the speed limit, driving about 65 mph. If he had been speeding, the increased velocity of his car would have increased the power of the axe’s impact, meaning it could very well have gone through the glass and injured his passenger. Please remember those lessons. We are very thankful that this situation did not have a worse ending.
SCROLL DOWN AND GET A LOOK AT THIS CREEPY PHOTO FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE –
“The man whose car was struck was obeying the speed limit, driving about 65 mph. If he had been speeding, the increased velocity of his car would have increased the power of the axe’s impact, ”
Five-O never misses a chance to rag on speed. But one could argue that even a few seconds of “increased velocity” would have put the car well past the axe-flinging truck . . . Just sayin’
It’s the LAW. People need to obey it or walk.
Reminds me of the time I had to dodge a flagman’s stop sign that got airborne on I-20. But an axe is a lot more spooky.
We had an accident here in Washington state a few years ago, where a piece of furniture fell off a truck and went through the windshield the car behind it, blinding and permanently disfiguring a woman, after which the state upped the penalty for unsecured loads. I am a mechanic for Wa. D.O.T. and have seen some amazing things found laying in the road (how about a brand new 14′ aluminum boat!). Secure your loads people, and double check them often!