Police Cruiser Struck by Flying Tire

A burglary call led to a chase in Houston during which a police cruiser was damaged by a flying tire. Flying tire accidents are something that we have covered extensively on our blog. They occur when another vehicle’s tire comes off the wheel and strikes another person or car. They’re often deadly. Tires are very heavy and when they’re flying at a high speed, they’ve been known to rip the roofs off of SUVs, strike pedestrians, and shatter windshields.

In this most recent incident, a police cruiser sustained damage after it was hit by a flying tire. Of course, it didn’t happen the way usual flying tire accidents happen. In this case, a pickup truck transporting 18-wheeler tires lost one of them, hitting the cruiser. Their vehicle ended up in a ditch and the two were apprehended on foot trying to run away from the vehicle.

Causes of Flying Tire Accidents

Flying tire accidents can happen for a variety of reasons. Typically, liability falls on whoever fastened the tire to the wheel. Not only are others on the road put at risk when a tire flies off a vehicle, the driver of the vehicle from which the tire flew is also in a dangerous position. 

These accidents are generally very preventable. They happen when a vehicle’s axels are in disrepair, broken, or rusted. In other cases, they can be caused by hub separations such as when a wheel bearing is broken and fails. They can also happen when the wheel fasteners fail or when a mechanic uses defective parts or fails to install those parts correctly.

More often than not, flying tire accidents happen shortly after repairs have been made to a vehicle. In these cases, liability would fall on the mechanic’s shop for failing to install the tire correctly.

What Should I Do After a Flying Tire Accident?

If you, your vehicle, or your loved one was struck by a flying tire, you should contact an attorney immediately. If you’re able, you’ll want to collect as much evidence from the scene as possible including the other driver’s license information, pictures of their car, pictures of your car, and pictures of the tire.

It’s important to collect as much evidence at the scene as you possibly can, but there are certainly some situations in which you’ll be too injured to do that effectively. In that case, you’re at the mercy of police officers and first responders to ensure that information is gathered. When you’re out of the woods, you should hire an attorney with a background in flying tire and defective tire cases to manage your claim. Chances are, you won’t be suing another driver, but auto mechanic’s shop or a company that produced a defective component. Such lawsuits are complex.

Talk to a Defective Tire Attorney Today

If you’ve been injured by a negligently installed or manufactured tire, the Coral Gables tire defect attorneys at Halpern, Santos & Pinkert can file a lawsuit on your behalf and recover damages related to your injuries. Talk to us today for a free consultation.

Resource:

khou.com/article/news/crime/police-car-struck-by-flying-tire-while-chasing-burglary-suspects-east-houston/285-f51181d4-fbc7-480d-9323-4f65579c7592

https://www.tiredefectattorney.com/tire-blowout-causes-rollover-crash/