EVERETT, Wash. — Dash-camera video released Wednesday shows the moment when a classic car came loose from the tow-trailer it was on and crashed into another person's car.
The video shows the 1967 Chevelle on a flatbed trailer going southbound on I-5 in Everett when it suddenly rolls off the trailer and onto the roadway. The unoccupied car cut across all lanes of traffic and into the HOV lane where it hit an oncoming car.
No one was hurt in the crash.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Axtman released the video on Twitter to show the importance of people securing their load.
The driver towing the Chevelle was cited for failure to secure the load.
This incident happened in August.
Earlier this year, the Washington State Patrol did a 28-day statewide secure load emphasis. Failure to secure a load can earn a driver a citation ranging from $228 in fines to criminal charges.
Washington state law says everyone is responsible for having a secure load. But there's a loophole for some trucks. Trucks with a carrying capacity of 8,500 gross pounds or more that are carrying gravel, sand, or dirt do not have to cover their loads as long as they maintain 6 inches of "freeboard." That means there has to be 6 inches of space from the top of the load to the top of the sides of the truck bed.
A Washington state house bill was introduced in 2013 that would have closed the loophole. But the bill never became law.
Washington State Trooper Johnna Batiste said they frequently receive calls about unsecured loads. She encourages anyone who witnesses debris falling from a truck to call and make a report.
Last month, a man traveling on I-90 captured video of a mattress flying out of a truck and onto the roadway.
The mattress, or possibly box spring, landed right in front of his vehicle, forcing him and several other drivers to swerve around it. He wasn’t hurt but still, it was a closer call than he’d like.
