Trailer hitch smashes through truck's windshield on I-5
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 the driver was southbound near "L" Street when the hitch came crashing into his dump truck.
Medics checked out the driver and one lane of traffic was blocked for a short time.
"The driver is extremely fortunate to escape with only minor injuries," Gill said.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Guy Gill said the driver was southbound near "L" Street when the hitch came crashing into his dump truck.
Medics checked out the driver and one lane of traffic was blocked for a short time.
"The driver is extremely fortunate to escape with only minor injuries," Gill said.
OMG, Who would ever think that as big and high as these trucks are, that this would ever happen!! Â What kind of trailer hitch did this? What kind of Rig was it on??
Small industry nomenclature thing, the hitch is what is bolted to the car or truck.  What flew through the window was the ball mount.  Use a locking pin and this type of thing doesn't happen, as well as keep your ball mount from being stolen.
 @Cougbrian What would have launched it airborne high enough to hit that rig's window (or into the path of the window to be hit)? Could it somehow pop upward from the connection breaking while it was, or even because it was, pulling too much weight?Â
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Several years ago my family and I were on our way home from Sekiu and on HWY 101 when the flatbed truck in front of us hit a dip in the road and launched an unsecured âdollyâ off the bed of the truck. When the rubber tires of that dolly hit the road â it bounced that thing 50 feet into the air and it continued to bounce down the highway coming right at us. Luckily my husband was able to maneuver out of itâs path by steering onto the gravel alongside the road. Had he not there is not doubt in my mind that it would have come crashing through our windshield. We most certainly would have been killed. I see unsecured loads every single day on my way to and from work from Shoreline to downtown Seattle. Itâs terrifying.
Thankfully the driver is ok. Helluva thing to see flying at your windshield though. I'll be checking mine in a couple minutes making sure no-one has pulled the pin for me.
That was too close for comfort.
I have been told the cops can write a ticket for not removing a hitch when not in use.Â
 @Reality Control Doesn't look like it was in the receiver. Too much rust on the shaft.
 @raptor  @Reality Control Probably was sitting on someones bed of their truck and it flew out on one of the very few bumps, dips, or ruts we have in our roads around here.
 @Reality Control BS. I have had a hitch in my truck for YEARS and have never been issued a ticket. Even when i get pulled over for a burned out light or whatever. But I also replace my hitch pin every 12 months like they recommend.
Heck ya for Decades myself. Half the tucks in Oregon and Washington would get a ticket if that was the case.
Years ago I was driving S on I5 in Tacoma around 72nd St. A tire and wheel bounced right in front of my truck went over and when I looked back it landed on the hood of a small car. The poor guy pulled over to the side and got out.
I can't imagine. Thank God he didn't get hurt. I hope they can somehow find out who this hitch belongs to.
A trailer hitch? How does that happen? Good grief! Lucky guy. That's way too scary!
Nasty looking hitch. Someone doesn't take very good care of their stuff.
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Fingerprint that puppy! (the hitch that is)
wow!!! was he lucky! could have caused a bad accident. cudos to the driver for keeping things under controle. and to all the- was following to close- morrons. do the math!!
KOMO has missed a very important fact here. You can be charged with a crime, if ANY object falls off of your vehicle while in transit, and causes damage to anything. It's a felony charge if you cause injury to anyone. Check you loads carefully, and your vehicles often to save yourself, and others, possible injury.
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 @XLRG Yet everyday I get hit with gravel from dump trucks.. Karma?
Jalharad is spot on! Too many vehicles drive around with these type hitches (REMOVEABLE) installed when they are not serving any purpose (PULL THE PIN AND REMOVE IT WHEN YOU NOT HAULING)! This will ensure the pin and hitch are inspected when you do need it and be able to identify potential problems i.e. rusty pin or no pin.
Is there an overpass near there? how could that big of a hitch bounce that high?
Dude was lucky! Go buy a lotto ticket!
I'm glad to see the driver got through this relatively unscathed. Probably should add a clean pair of shorts to his needs.
Must have been pretty close to the vehicle in front of him for it to have been thrown that high.
 @DDG I was thinking the same thing that he must've been following to close to the vehicle in front of him.
I would think if he was "following too close", the hitch would have bounced under the rig. But we can speculate all day long, right?
 @DDG It could have come off, then bounced high off the roadway to hit the windshield.
Hitches aren't lite. For something that heavy to bounce that high he would have to have been very close behind the vehicle in fron t of him.
 @DDG It would also have been spinning - if a long part of it had hit the pavement spinning. Hitting an asphalt roadway, the torque of the spin could have sent it almost vertical at a high rate...which could take it high enough to hit the windshield. Given the right angle of impact, and the part hitting the pavement being extended from the center of the mass of the hitch, the torque of the extended part would have been significant. and the weight might have added more force to the twisting. See http://www.hinsdale86.org/staff/jvetrone/physics%20practice%20files/physics%20practice%20notes/Torque%20and%20Rotation%20Physics.pdf for a simple explanation of the dynamics involved.
Asphalt will yield, then rebound, just like a rubber surface. That rebound can add force to the object.
Ever watch a stone come off a gravel truck on the freeway at 50 MPH? In almost every case that stone will bounce higher than the initial drop - that's why the first car following is often missed - and the stone hits the second one.
makre sure your hitches are PINNED in, and remove them when you are not using them!
@Jalharad Okay