Dangerous Trailers Accidents In 2008

Route 66 bridge damaged, Loose Trailer From Pick Up

2009-01-04T08:00:00.001-08:00

Note: If a loose trailer can cause this much damage... mind you... not from a 18 wheeler... but
from these UnRegulated Utility Trailers.. the one's that weigh just under 3,000 pounds then how do expect cars, houses and human beings to survive when you get hit with one of these?

Steve Logsdon of ODOT looks at damage to a steel truss bridge over the Verdigris River on Route 66 north of Catoosa. ODOT officials said the right hand lane of the bridge will be closed for several weeks.
PROGRESS PHOTO/Joy Hampton /
“The right lane southbound will be closed for several weeks,” said Kenna Mitchell of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. “A support beam was severed and other damage occurred.” By Joy Hampton
CLAREMORE DAILY PROGRESS

January 1, 2008 —

Southbound traffic on Route 66 between Verdigris and Catoosa will narrow to one lane over a steel truss bridge following an accident which severed a support beam earlier this week.

Tuesday afternoon a trailer got loose from a pickup and struck the steel truss bridge over the Verdigris River on SH 66 north of Catoosa according to Mitchell.

Southbound traffic along SH 66 was routed back to SH 266 while ODOT engineers inspected the damage. Following those inspections, one lane was reopened.

A speed limit of 45 mph will be strictly enforced along with a weight limit not to exceed 15 tons. Loads wider than 10 feet will not be allowed to cross the bridge.

Mitchell said ODOT has set up message boards in several places alerting motorists to the lane closure.

3 injured when trailer breaks free, causes rollover

2008-12-29T11:57:00.001-08:00

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Coeur d'Alene Press, The (ID) December 1, 2008
Section: News Page: A3

3 injured when trailer breaks free, causes rollover

Article Text:SAGLE — A trailer broke free from its hitch Saturday afternoon, crashing into an oncoming car, causing it to roll. Alan Gibson, 51, was southbound in a 1986 Dodge truck near milepost 468 on U.S. 95 in the Sagle area when the trailer he was hauling started to fishtail.

It broke loose and struck a northbound Kia Sedona driven by Ruby Wheeler, 41, of Sandpoint who had pulled over to try and avoid the trailer.

After being struck by the trailer, Wheeler drove off the road, causing her vehicle to roll. Wheeler and two passengers were transported to Bonner General Hospital in Sandpoint. Wheeler was admitted and was in stable condition Saturday evening.

No information was available on her passengers. Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls police reported a quiet weekend in spite of Friday's snowfall, with no significant traffic incidents.

Record Number: 12509C6D9F984D78

Loose trailer strikes pickup towing animals.

2008-12-29T11:30:00.001-08:00

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Columbia Daily Tribune (MO) November 7, 2008

Accident kills horse, injures woman Loose trailer strikes pickup towing animals.

Author: JOE MEYERof the Tribune's staff

Article Text:A Rocheport woman is recovering from a weekend wreck that killed a horse on Highway 40 after a utility trailer detached from another vehicle and struck the pickup she was driving on her way to a horse show.

The wreck occurred Saturday morning as Lisa Morrissey, 36, was towing a horse trailer behind a Ford pickup. The trailer overturned, and authorities euthanized one of the horses, a thoroughbred hunter-jumper.

Another horse suffered injuries to a leg but survived the collision. Morrissey remains hospitalized at University Hospital and was listed in good condition today. Family and friends said she is recovering from a shattered femur, broken pelvis and broken collarbone. Morrissey's niece, 14-year-old Jordan Husa, and her friend, 13-year-old Alexis Tolch, were treated and released from the hospital.

"We're very thankful to have my wife alive," Bill Morrissey said by phone today from his wife's hospital room. "She didn't do anything wrong. They were just driving down the road." According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Morrissey was driving eastbound on Highway 40 just west of Route J at 8:50 a.m. when her pickup was struck by a utility trailer that had became detached from a westbound 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe.

The collision totaled Morrissey's truck and forced the horse trailer to jackknife and overturn, the highway patrol said. "Had it been a smaller car, it probably would have been a serious fatality accident," highway patrol Cpl. Paul Meyers said today.

The trailer being pulled by the SUV was described by family and friends as homemade, but Meyers said it was a professionally-manufactured agricultural brush burner. "It was an odd-looking contraption," Meyers said.

The driver of the Chevrolet, identified as Joseph Schuster, 45, of Columbia, was issued a citation for not properly securing a load, Meyers said. He was not injured, the highway patrol said. Terri Wright of Columbia, a family friend, said Morrissey noticed the trailer swaying from side to side and pulled over to let it pass. "It was very heavy," Wright said of the trailer, "must have hit her like a freight train, basically.

" Wright said one of the horses, a 15-year-old thoroughbred named Payton, was euthanized on the scene by a veterinarian from Equine Medical Services in Columbia. "He used to be my horse, so it hits really close to home," Wright said, adding that Husa rode the horse, which she estimated to be worth $10,000. Another horse, a Trekhaner named Bree, survived the wreck but required multiple stitches to a leg, Bill Morrissey said. Jill Morrissey has undergone multiple surgeries and faces months of rehabilitation. "We don't know precisely what that will entail," Bill Morrissey said. Reach Joe Meyer at (573) 815-1718 or jmeyer@columbiatribune.com.

Record Number: 12453075DA7550C0

A livestock trailer in tow behind a pickup overturned

2008-12-29T11:19:00.001-08:00

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McClatchy-Tribune Regional News (USA) November 25, 2008

Topics:

Index Terms:
WN-BRF-Cattle-loose-after-trailer-flips-on-I-77-1125

BRIEF: Cattle loose after trailer flips on I-77

Author: Sherry Youngquist, Winston-Salem Journal, N.C.

Article Text:Nov. 25 LAMBSBURG, Va. A livestock trailer in tow behind a pickup overturned on northbound Interstate 77 about 3 p.m., releasing two cows and a calf onto the roadway, authorities said.

The cattle went into the woods near the highway, authorities said. State police and other law enforcement officials located the calf, a dispatcher said. The two cows are in the woods along the interstate, where authorities are trying to coax them out.

The wreck occurred just across the Virginia state line between the Virginia welcome center and exit 1, according to the Virginia State Police. -

To see more of the Winston-Salem Journal, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.journalnow.com/. Copyright (c) 2008, Winston-Salem Journal, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Record Number: 124B52EC703C30B8

Trailer breaks loose from truck, slams into Pole.. Loose Trailer

2008-12-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

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News Herald, The (Panama City, FL) November 11, 2008
Section: State and regional

Topics:

Index Terms:
News
Feature

Crash cuts power, cancels classes: Trailer breaks loose from truck, slams into power pole; no one injured

Author: Jon Miltimore; The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.

Industry:
Government

Article Text:Nov. 11--PANAMA CITY -- A trailer towing a bulldozer broke loose Monday, crossed traffic and slammed into a power pole, knocking lines onto passing vehicles and disrupting electricity to homes and businesses in the area, including Gulf Coast Community College, which canceled classes for the day.

The trouble began about 8 a.m. as a dump truck carrying a trailer was traveling east on U.S. 98, just off the Hathaway Bridge. Then, the improperly attached trailer came free, according to Panama City Police Department officials.

The trailer crossed one lane of traffic and struck a pole, exposing live electrical wires and destroying two poles, officers said. Florida Freedom Regional Editor Phil Lucas witnessed the crash up close. "I was just easing past him in the right lane because I don't like to ride next to large trucks," Lucas said. "I looked in my mirror and saw the trailer (unattached) making a lane change." Lucas said he could see poles and wires snapping and flailing when the trailer hit.

"There was one power line dangling 8 feet into the road, and I just shot under it," Lucas said. A witness recalled seeing blue sparks shooting off the top of Lucas' car as it passed under electrical wires. Four police units responded to the area to navigate traffic around the accident and close traffic in one lane. Firefighters also were on scene to keep pedestrians clear of the downed lines. Shortly after police arrived, a semi-truck attempted to drive through a restricted zone that police had shut down, and the semi became entangled, causing more electrical wires to be exposed, police said.

Police said traffic returned to normal about 5 p.m. Operations at Port Panama City were interrupted for a few hours until generators began to supply power to most port operations, according to port officials. Port Panama City Executive Director Wayne Stubbs said a few isolated sectors would be down for much of the day, but cargo operations were interrupted only briefly. Gulf Coast Community College canceled all Monday classes.

Officials said the campus would be closed today, as well, for Veterans Day, but classes were expected to resume Wednesday. Other area satellite campuses were unaffected. Gulf Power spokesman Jeff Rogers said 121 customers had their electricity interrupted, but power resumed in all locations by 5:03 p.m. Police said the driver of the dump truck was cited with failure to secure a load. The semi-driver was cited with careless driving. Their names were not released Monday.

No injuries were reported. Memo:
To see more of The News Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsherald.com.Copyright(c) 2008, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Record Number: 20081111-PY-Crash-cuts-power-cancels-classes-1111

Driver who damaged pole sought, Loose Trailer

2008-12-29T10:55:00.001-08:00

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Poughkeepsie Journal (NY) December 10, 2008
Section: MID-HUDSON Page: 5B

Driver who damaged pole sought

Author: STAFF

Article Text:Dutchess County sheriff's deputies were continuing their search Tuesday night for a tow-truck operator who fled in his truck after a trailer he was towing broke loose and smashed into a utility pole on Route 343 in the Town of Washington.

The accident happened at about 4:50 p.m. at the intersection of Route 343 and Chestnut Ridge Road. The intersection remained closed late into the evening while crews made repairs to the pole and removed debris from the crash, Sgt. Mark Femenella said.

Witnesses told sheriff's deputies a tow truck was towing the trailer of a tractor trailer westbound on Route 343 when the trailer came unhitched and slammed into the pole, knocking it down and strewing wires across the highway, Femenella said. The tow truck was described as a large, multi-axle vehicle painted white with blue lettering and a phone number starting with area code 201.

The damaged trailer was inscribed with Finnegan's Warehouse Corp. Deputies are also looking for a tractor trailer with Finnegan's Warehouse Corp. written on it. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office at 845-486-3800.

Record Number: pgh58562690

Boat flies through the air, lands on car... Loose Trailer

2008-12-28T22:13:00.001-08:00

Boat flies through the air, lands on car

Posted: Dec 19, 2008 04:16 PM

Updated: Dec 19, 2008 04:18 PM

By Karen Cohilas - bio | email

December 19, 2008

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - It's not everyday that a boat becomes airborn and lands on a car but it happened in East Albany last night and we have some pretty amazing pictures to show you. Mary Mann snapped these photos with her cellphone.

This is at the MD Food Mart on East Oglethorpe Boulevard around 6:30 Thursday night. This Bass Tracker was being pulled behind a truck when the trailer broke loose and went sailing across west bound traffic and landed on this car.

Three people were inside the car and luckily weren't hurt. Mary Mann said the boat narrowly missed her. She said, "All I saw was this great big ball of fire where it was skidding across the road and jumped the median and into the gas station and landed right on top of this car. It was a mess, but luckily nobody got hurt. That's the best thing about the whole thing. I think it's a Christmas miracle the way everything happened. I mean, if it had to happen, nobody got hurt and that's the best thing. That's the best thing."

57-year old Benjamin Dupree of Leesburg is the owner of the boat. He's been charged with failure to secure load.

Ms. Mann said one of the small children stepped out of the smashed car and told his father, quote, "Looks like we're going to need a tow truck."

Feedback

Utility trailer crashes into store

2008-12-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Utility trailer crashes into store

By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

The Napa Auto Parts building in Bellevue had an unexpected Thanksgiving Day visitor when a runaway utility trailer crashed into it.

Store Manager Ron Domke said the trailer, used to haul landscaping equipment, struck a vacant store next to Napa, causing about $4,000 damage. It could have been worse, Domke said, explaining that the trailer crashed through a large door rather than through the side of the building.

Blaine County Sheriff Lt. Jay Davis said the trailer was being pulled southbound when it came loose from a white 2000 GMC pickup driven by Eduardo Orozco-Corona, a 35-year-old Jerome man.

Davis said the trailer crossed both northbound lanes on Bellevue's Main Street, jumped a curb and crashed into the building.

Davis attributed the cause of the mishap to a deficient trailer hitch setup. He said no citation was issued. Damage to the trailer was estimated at $200.

The crash occurred at about 5:15 p.m.

"I had to get up from dinner to come down here and see what was going on," Domke said.

Deadly Route 19 Crash... Loose Trailer

2008-12-23T03:54:00.000-08:00

Note: In Most states no regulations are in place except maybe for lights.... for any trailer just one pound under 3,000 pounds. In fact no inspections are done yearly.... and anybody can build one. No Federal regulations are in place for a trailer hitch... but yet since 2003 to 2007 over 2,000 people killed, 120,000 injured and 340,000 things damaged by passenger cars that tow trailers and we do nothing.

Dec 16, 2008 7:06 am US/Eastern

Deadly Route 19 Crash Under Investigation

22-Year-Old Woman Flown To UPMC Presbyterian In Stable Condition

NORTH STRABANE TWP. (KDKA) ― Police say they don't know why a trailer broke loose and hit a car, killing a woman on Route 19 in North Strabane Township.

A utility trailer broke loose from a pickup truck as it was headed south.

The trailer bounced over the median and landed on a car in the passing lane headed north.

The car then caught fire. Two women were in the front seat and young girl, three or four years old, was in the backseat.

Michelle Kott, 36, of Ellsworth, was killed.

"The truck lost its trailer. He went down to turn around, came back to find the trailer had collided with a northbound vehicle driven by a white female who is deceased," Washington County Coroner Tim Warco said.

"The trailer was on top of the vehicle so the mother was trying to get the child out of the backseat," George Loutsion, a witness, said. "So I tried to help her get her out of the backseat. We got her off to the side of the road and the other gentleman put the fire out that was – the engine was on fire – and he put the fire out with a fire extinguisher."

A 22-year-old woman was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh.

The child was flown to Children's Hospital.

A detective in North Strabane Township says they have impounded all the vehicles involved, as well as a van that was damaged slightly.

He said it may be a while before they decide if charges are filed.

His trailer fish-tailed all over the highway

2008-11-04T02:24:00.000-08:00

The West Coast Express commuter trains that run from Mission to Vancouver BC have an extended bus service that parallels the train trips offering mid day trips to/from Vancouver.

This morning the second bus of the morning crashed within view of the Port Haney station just before its 10:49 departure time.

Local TV news is reporting the driver passed out just as he was turning off the highway. His bus careened across a sidewalk and lawn, just missed a fire hydrant, snapped off a tree, crossed the road and went over an embankment coming to rest against some cedar trees. Its these trees that kept the bus from possibly rolling over.

The TV report also stated that the driver and one passenger went to hospital for treatment. There were no serious injuries.

While I was on the scene a second traffic incendent occured right in front of me. A young fellow driving a pick-up, and pulling a loaded utility trailer, managed to loose control. His trailer fish-tailed all over the highway and slammed into the traffic island within view of the officials tending to the bus incident. I managed to capture and action photo of his trailer wiping out. The driver cussed a blue streak when he emerged from his truck. Police and reporters came running to see what it was all about. A loaded semi hauling fresh cut lumber was right there as well. My personal observation was the young driver was trying to speed past the semi. Excessive speed likely caused him to loose control. Police on the scene were busy with a ticket book when I left.

Anyway...here's several photos of the crash scene.

struck by a trailer that broke loose

2008-11-02T00:52:00.001-07:00

Wreck cleared on Garden Lakes Boulevard

Oct 30, 2008

A Rome woman was hospitalized this evening after a van she was driving was struck by a trailer that broke loose from another vehicle on Garden Lakes Boulevard.

The 6 p.m. wreck occurred at the railroad track crossing, and was directly in front of Garden Lakes Elementary School.

According to Paul Mansfield of the Rome Police Department:

A trailer towed by a pick-up truck driven by Paul Abrams of Armuchee came loose from the vehicle as it was crossing the railroad tracks.

The loose trailer hit a GMC minvan driven by Shuaib Hanin Wasif of Rome.

Wasif was taken to Floyd Medical Center with minor inju-ries.

Mansfield said Abrams would be cited with not having proper safety restraints on the trailer.

The accident was cleared around 6:45 p.m.

A wood-chipper trailer came loose

2008-11-02T00:37:00.000-07:00

Injury accident stalls traffic on eastbound Dumbarton Bridge

Staff Reports

Article Last Updated: 10/24/2008 07:57:30 AM PDT

A wood-chipper trailer came loose from the truck towing it and hit another vehicle in the eastbound lanes of the Dumbarton Bridge about 6:30 this morning causing a considerable traffic jam, the California Highway Patrol reports.

There were injuries and the CHP issued a sig-alert for the eastbound Dumbarton.

An hour later the accident was in the clearing stages but there was a long backup and the CHP advised commuters to avoid the bridge for awhile, if possible.

Girl freed after arm gets stuck (Home Made)

2008-11-02T00:14:00.001-07:00

Girl freed after arm gets stuck in old pickup bed

3-year-old OK following ordeal at family farm

Monday, October 27 | 10:22 p.m.

By JOHN BRANTON
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER

Halloween or not, it may be awhile before 3-year-old Marina Dally wants to visit a pumpkin patch again.

On Monday, Marina got her arm stuck in a hole in an old pickup bed, which was being used as a trailer to haul pumpkins at her grandparents’ farm in the Proebstel area northeast of Orchards.

“We tried to get it out,” her grandmother, Helen Boldt, said later. “First we put dish soap on it, but it was swollen.”

The Vancouver Fire Department was called to the farm at 18905 N.E. 83rd Street shortly before noon, said Chris Moen, firefighter-spokesman.

They found Marina’s hand still locked in a stake pocket of the pickup bed, which had been removed from the truck’s cab and still had wheels on it for use as a utility trailer.

And she wasn’t very happy about it.

“She had family there kind of calming her down,” Moen said. “But whenever we put a tool to use, a saw or anything for cutting, she just cried loudly. It reminded me of a 3-year-old at a doctor’s office, when she saw the needle coming.”

Firefighters called for a heavy-rescue team equipped with bolt cutters, reciprocating saws and other tools.

They worked for more than an hour, first cutting away the outer metal until they could see what was holding the toddler’s hand.

Finally Marina was free, exhausted and hollering but with no damage to her arm and hand that needed hospital treatment.

Later Monday afternoon she was playing and back to her old self, Boldt said.

Her husband, Gary Boldt, is a brother of Republican County Commissioner Marc Boldt.

John Branton: 360-735-4513 or john.branton@columbian.com.

Speed a factor in fatal accident (Trailer Sway)

2008-11-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

Trailer Sway...

Speed a factor in fatal accident near Echo

October 28th, 2008 @ 1:29pm

(KSL News) One man was killed, four others injured in an accident on Interstate 80 near Echo at milepost 170 in Summit County.

The Utah Highway Patrol says the driver, 40-year-old Ty R. Richins, was traveling westbound on I-80 Sunday pulling a camping trailer and Jeep Wrangler behind his 1990 Ford F-350. The trailer and Jeep began to sway back and forth forcing the truck off the road. The truck hit a post and part of an exit sign, overturning the truck, which then rolled.

The truck, trailer and Jeep separated. The trailer and the Jeep overturned and rolled onto the Interstate, blocking the lanes of travel.

Richins, who is from Syracuse, was ejected from the vehicle suffering major trauma to his head and torso. He was found dead under the truck.

None of the four passengers was ejected, but all of them were injured. A family friend, 73-year-old Paul Arellanes, was sitting in the middle of the front seat. He was transported to the hospital by ambulance with a head injury. As were Richins' 16- and 17-year-old sons, who were in the rear passenger seats.

Arellanes is from Placitas, New Mexico.

Richins' 69-year-old father, Jerry, who was in the front passenger seat, was flown by helicopter to the hospital with injuries to his head, neck and back.

Richins was not exceeding the speed limit, but the highway patrol says due to the weight of all three vehicles, speed was a factor in the crash.

No one was wearing a seat belt.

woman arrested after kids blown off trailer

2008-10-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

Sioux Center woman arrested after kids blown off trailer
2:20 PM
By Dolly A. Butz
dbutz@siouxcityjournal.com

ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- A rural Sioux Center woman was arrested Saturday on a felony charge of child endangerment in connection with an Oct. 4 traffic accident that injured her two grandchildren.

Glenda Vermeer, 53, was also charged with failure to report a personal injury accident, a serious misdemeanor.

The Sioux County Sheriff's Office said in a statement today that it was notified Saturday about a possible child endangerment situation that occurred one week earlier near Sioux Center.

At 2 p.m. Oct. 4, Vermeer was eastbound on 400th Street in a 1998 Dodge Dakota pickup, pulling a flatbed trailer. Her grandchildren, ages 4 and 7, were sitting on a mattress on the trailer and were apparently blown off of it, according to the sheriff's office. The children, who landed on the opposite side of the roadway, suffered minor injuries. Vermeer took them to the Sioux Center Hospital for treatment shortly after the accident, the sheriff's office said.

Dumpster Falls Off Trailer (Utility Trailer)

2008-10-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

Dumpster Falls off Truck on I-565; Motorcyclist Badly Hurt (Utility Trailer)

October 15, 2008

From NewsChannel 19 Team Reports:

Huntsville Police are investigating a bizarre accident that happened Wednesday afternoon on I-565, near the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

A truck hauling a full-size dumpster lost the dumpster, and it fell off the back and into the road, causing a bad wreck in the westbound lane.

Police say Aaron Alston, 20, hit the dumpster and was critically hurt.

NewsChannel 19's Jamie McGriff was there as it happened, and sent us the pictures you see to the left.

Police are still investigating, but say a pickup truck was hauling the dumpster on a trailer when it flew off. A driver for Parker Towing was passing by as the accident happened, and stopped to help get it out of the road.

Boat Crashes Into House

2008-10-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Posted: 4:23 PM Oct 12, 2008
Last Updated: 7:29 PM Oct 12, 2008
Reporter: Susan Nicholas/Chris Atkins
Email Address: chris.atkins@wsaz.com

Proctroville, Ohio (WSAZ)-A telephone call may have saved a man's life Sunday afternoon. He was sitting in his bedroom but got up to answer his phone. A few seconds later a large boat crashed into the room where he had just been sitting.

Police say the crash was an accident. A neighbor was hooking his boat up to a trailer when it slipped down the hill and slammed into a house.

The accident happened Sunday afternoon. Police tell us they may need to bring a crane in to remove the boat.

This accident happened in a neighborhood in Bradrick. That is near Proctorville in Lawrence County, Ohio.

Flying Boat Kills Motorcyclist

2008-10-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

Note: What training did the person towing the boat receive?
What condition was the trailer in?
Did anybody inspect the trailer and car??

Was the combination of the trailer and car towing the trailer within the towing capacity of the
station wagon?

By Jeff Muniz

Story Published: Oct 11, 2008 at 10:35 PM CDT

Story Updated: Oct 11, 2008 at 10:38 PM CDT

A Kingston Mines man riding his motorcycle dies after a boat was thrown off its trailer on Route 24 Saturday afternoon. Authorities say a Glasford man driving a station wagon and pulling a boat hit a center guardrail around 3:30 p.m.

The crash sent the boat flying off its trailer and into the opposite lane where it hit a motorcycle being driven by 37-year-old Bernard Faust. The Peoria County Coroner says Faust died about 45 minutes later at the scene.

Authorities say he was not wearing a helmet and an autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

Police say the driver of the station wagon, Robert Hartman from Glasford, says he blacked out. Hartman was issued a ticket for failure to reduce speed.

The crash closed eastbound 24 for a couple hours.

Unusual accident draws attention Broken Trailer Hitch

2008-10-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Note: No Federal Standards are in place for trailer hitches. The industry stopped all efforts in 1972. What if this boat hit a car or a School Bus?

Originally posted on: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 by Anne Imanuel
Last updated on: 10/8/2008 11:23:59 PM

LEE COUNTY: An accident involving a 28-foot boat turned heads Wednesday evening. Oddly, they weren't the heads of fellow boaters, but people driving along US-41.

The 20,000 pound speedboat was stretching across US-41 near Lakeland Drive in North Fort Myers after it fell off the trailer that was carrying it.

Officials on the scene said the driver pulling the trailer was slowing down while approaching a red light and the trailer hitch broke off.

That hurled the boat off the trailer, across the median and into oncoming traffic. Surprisingly, little damage was done and no was hurt.

One southbound lane of US-41 was partially shut down for a few hours while the mess was cleaned up.

It took a giant crane to put the boat back onto the trailer.

Unusual accident draws attention Broken Trailer Hitch

2008-10-13T08:13:00.000-07:00