'This could have killed me if I wasn't paying attention'
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TACOMA, Wash. -- Troopers say a truck driver suffered only scrapes and cuts when a trailer hitch smashed through his windshield Tuesday morning on Interstate 5.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Guy Gill said 37-year-old Puyallup driver Paul Shatzley was southbound near "L" Street when the hitch came crashing into his dump truck.
"This could have killed me if I wasn't paying attention," Shatzley said. "It probably weighs 35 pounds."
Shatzley has driven trucks for 20 years but it was his first day on a new job when his routine ride turned terrifying.
"I knew it was going to be a factor when I seen it coming to the truck," he said. "Didn't know if it would hit the roof or the windshield."
He spotted a trailer hitch ball fall from one truck and roll under another on I-5.
"And then went up about 40 feet above my truck windshield and through the windshield of my truck and hit me on the side of the head," he said. "I had seconds to move to the right before I got hit."
The hitch receiver nicked the top of Shatzley's head.
"It caught the side of my head and the side of my face when it went through," he said.
It left him sore, bruised, and with four stitches. But incredibly he's alive to show his wounds.
"The doctor even said if it hit me in the face it would have killed me," Shatzley said.
Shatzley says his close call should serve as a reminder -- if you're leaving a trailer hitch in, put the pin through it. If you're hauling a load don't take any chances.
"People need to tie their stuff down," he said.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Guy Gill said 37-year-old Puyallup driver Paul Shatzley was southbound near "L" Street when the hitch came crashing into his dump truck.
"This could have killed me if I wasn't paying attention," Shatzley said. "It probably weighs 35 pounds."
Shatzley has driven trucks for 20 years but it was his first day on a new job when his routine ride turned terrifying.
"I knew it was going to be a factor when I seen it coming to the truck," he said. "Didn't know if it would hit the roof or the windshield."
He spotted a trailer hitch ball fall from one truck and roll under another on I-5.
"And then went up about 40 feet above my truck windshield and through the windshield of my truck and hit me on the side of the head," he said. "I had seconds to move to the right before I got hit."
The hitch receiver nicked the top of Shatzley's head.
"It caught the side of my head and the side of my face when it went through," he said.
It left him sore, bruised, and with four stitches. But incredibly he's alive to show his wounds.
"The doctor even said if it hit me in the face it would have killed me," Shatzley said.
Shatzley says his close call should serve as a reminder -- if you're leaving a trailer hitch in, put the pin through it. If you're hauling a load don't take any chances.
"People need to tie their stuff down," he said.
Karma for all the broken windows caused by loose gravel from trucks.
If youâre haulingâ¦Tie it, lock it, and check it.
Same headline story as yesterday. KOMO needs to find some new news.
Yeah drivers, that title says it all. Let it be a lesson to a lot of you out there to "pay attention!"
Your new job is sitting in the shop waiting for repairs now. 20 years shoulda told you to start scrambling and get away from the fall out and protect your job and the truck when you seen the hitch fall from the first truck. You cant just sit there and watch this stuff unfold or you and the guy that owns that truck are going to be broke. When a guy puts you in a seat, that what he is counting on. If you simply moved 3-4 foot to the right and the company would still be making money on that truck. Glad you aint hurt bad though, good luck.
 @T_BONE_WALKER He's driving a dump truck on the freeway at speed, are you effing kidding me.  Carnage if he reacted any other way then to take the hit from the hitch.  Moving an 80' vehicle to the side 3' to avoid an object your eyes are trained on would never happen.  It's just not realistic.
Can you imagine the reaction of the vehicles behind him if he suddenly swerved his 30 ton 80' long vehicle?
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 @T_BONE_WALKER Are you the damaged truck's owner or something? Just wondering.
@T_BONE_WALKER
Where I work, if you get in an accident avoiding another one, you get charged for the accident. So kids, if you ever decide to jump in front of my vehicle, remember this: I DON'T SWERVE!Â
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I may hit the brakes in a controlled manner, I may ANGLE the vehicle IF I know I have clearance (mirrors, mirrors, mirrors) but I don't swerve. All the while having been a safe following distance from the vehicle in front.
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 @T_BONE_WALKER Oh how I do love armchair quarterbacks.....Probably didn't have time nor the lane-check time/availability to change lanes but hey.. you know better because you weren't there.
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 @T_BONE_WALKER It takes a good 10 seconds to safely change lanes with a big truck. He didn't have the time. If you're going to blame on someone, blame the idiot who hooked up the trailer hitch.
@T_BONE_WALKER .........You tell him Superman. You're the kind of driver that would swerve a big truck to save a stray dog, taking out innocent people in nearby lanes. This guy's got 20 years behind the wheel. He did what he could. Your armchair quarterbacking while sitting in front of you pc in your skivvies is hereby invalid.
 @T_BONE_WALKER Nothing like playing Monday morning quarter back. Tacoma morning traffic does not give you much room to maneuver away from a trailer hitch that could take a bounce in either direction. I have watched rocks kicked up from between tractor wheels on the highway and no matter which way I swerved the rock kept homing in on my windshield. The driver made the right decision by keeping his truck under control. I bet you would of had a different tune if the headlines read "Minivan Full of Kids Hit as Truck Swerves to Miss Trailer Hitch".Â
@T_BONE_WALKER I'm guessing he didn't have time to react like that. It would have been more dangerous to take his eyes off the debris and do a mirror check. Moving 3-4 feet to the right could have been the difference between a smashed truck cab, and hitting another motorist.
He made the right choice, and I'm glad he didn't get hurt more!
@Smashquail Thanks, sorry you feel that way and you certainly have a right to your own opinion but it had time to fall from one vehichle, get run over by another vehicle, go 40' up in the air, come down to about 9' and you are just now starting to wonder whats beside you? He will tell you himself that he knew what was beside him before he saw it drop initially because thats what 20 yr truckdrivers do. They KNOW whats beside them.
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Go ask the owner of the truck what he thinks.
@Jordan "I am sure this truck driver had only seconds to think this one through".
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Exactly, thats what happened, he sat there thinking and watching. Simply moving to the right 3' would have been enough. 12 foot lane, 8 foot wide truck, you havent even come out of the established lane till you pass 2' so you wind up one foot over on the shoulder, no wild lane changes, no drama, guys drive around that kind of crap their whole careers, it routine. Next time it might be a subaru flying at him like a frisbee, its the nature of the game.
 @T_BONE_WALKERI am sure this truck driver had only seconds to think this one through. I myself think he made the right move by maintaining his truck and keeping watch of the flying hitch. I would rather dunk than cause more panic by dodging into other lanes, slamming on the brakes. It could have ended a lot worse than this. Thankfully the Truck driver is okay.
@Smashquail No doubt a difficult situation, next time he'll be standing on the hood fielding that hitch like it was a line drive to short stop.
@T_BONE_WALKER Well, if you want to go that route, maybe he did know what was beside him and didn't have the option to move over. I would bet it's hard to take your eyes off a trailer hitch flying towards you on I-5. I sure as hell wouldn't look away.
I was in traffic 2 days ago and saw a hitch ball sitting on the bumper of a truck going to get on the 405N. I got next to him and honked and tried to get his attention for 2 blocks, that guy would not look over so i could tell him. afraid i guess. thats too bad.
Sir- go buy a lottery ticket! This is probably the luckiest day of your life. I'm glad he is ok.
It's a good thing the truck was there instead of a car a few feet back.
Right on! Glad he's ok.
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A testament to the powers of paying attention.
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Now, just tell that to the drivers on U.S. 2, especially considering there was another wreck today.
You are one lucky guy. I wonder if the guy/gal who lost the hitch even knows what happened? Or, if when they notice it gone, think it was stolen. Nonetheless, kudos for paying attention when in control of a potentially deadly machine.