A mother was killed by a flying wheel in a freak accident on a Texas freeway Thursday night.
At approximately 7:15 p.m., an as-yet unidentified mother and her 17-year-old son were reportedly returning from the teenager’s baseball game in Lufkin. The pair were traveling south on the I-69 Eastex Freeway in New Caney when the wheel of a 2004 Dodge pickup truck traveling in the opposite direction detached from the vehicle and flew over the barrier.
The wheel struck their vehicle, killing the mother instantly. Her out of control vehicle then struck another carrying a father and three children. Her son and the four in the other vehicle were all transported to Kingwood Hospital alive, but in serious condition. The driver of the truck that initiated the accident retained control and was able to pull to a stop.
The National Transportation Safety Board estimates that approximately 19,000 people are injured every year in tire-related crashes — and that most of the accidents are preventable. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 738 died from such crashes in 2017 alone.
The freeway was shut down for more than three hours after the accident. Texas state troopers are still investigating, and have asked any witnesses with information regarding the fatal accident to come forward.