The driver of an SUV is “lucky to be alive” after a set of wheels came off a transport truck and slammed into his windshield while he travelled along Highway 400 on Wednesday afternoon, Ontario Provincial Police say.
The incident happened in the southbound lanes of Hwy. 400 near Highway 9 at around 2 p.m.
According to OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, the transport truck was travelling alongside the SUV when a set of dual wheels somehow became dislodged from the vehicle.
“A set of dual wheels with the brake drum came off as a single unit, was bouncing across the highway and slammed right into the SUV, right onto the windshield in the roof area,” Schmidt said. “Fortunately it was on the passenger side and he (the driver) was the lone occupant. He was able to get the vehicle off the highway safely and there were no injuries but it was a pretty frightening situation.”
Schmidt said that the driver of the SUV saw the wheels “bouncing toward him but had nowhere to go.”
He said that while he was “visibly shaken” following the accident, he was otherwise OK.
“He really needs to count his blessings because it could have been a much different situation for him,” he said.
Investigators are currently examining the wheels and trying to determine how they became detached from the transport truck, Schmidt said.
He said that charges are “certainly a possibility” in the case if it is determined that the wheels were not properly secured.
Fines for wheel separations in commercial vehicles in Ontario can run up to $50,000, Schmidt added.
