Utility trailer disconnects, fatally striking woman
October 28, 2009 4:35 PM
KENT COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A 46-year-old woman from Rockford has died after a utility trailer became disconnected from the van towing it.
The Kent County Sheriff's Department says that the incident occurred at 10 Mile Road in Courtland Township, when a utility trailer being towed by a white van became disconnected. The trailer became airborne and struck a vehicle driven by a 46-year-old woman from Rockford.
Deputies say the tongue of the trailer broke through the windshield, striking both occupants of the vehicle. The driver of the car was pronounced dead on the scene from fatal chest injuries. The front seat passenger of that vehicle suffered minor injuries and was transported to Butterworth Hospital.
 | ronmelancon wrote: When you get a moment please say a prayer for the victim. Then go to www.dangeroustrailers.org and note... that this accident could have happened to each and every reader of this posting. No regulations,, NO training,, no standards,,, for this class of vehicle. Your state has nothing to charge him with... the most he will be charged with is an $80 fine and an unsecured load. That is it. Please note that since 1975 over 15,211 lives have been lost by "passenger cars that tow trailers" It is the lobby and special interest groups that are funded by U Haul and companies like Carry on trailers that have stopped our efforts and the Federal Government from doing anything about this pressing issue. Please note... every time you are behind one of these trailers... get out of the way! 10/29/2009 11:57 AM MST on wwmt.com
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 | monkeybread wrote: Must be Satan was responsible for the trailer and GOD worked in his mysterious way letting that poor 46 year old woman take the trailer tongue in the chest. It must be a miracle the passenger wasn't killed as well. Praise GOD, hallelujah, ....e-sarcasm. 10/29/2009 8:32 AM MST on wwmt.com
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 | scottephoto wrote: I remember years back when a woman mowing her lawn was struck and killed when a trailer from a tandem-trailer broke loose and hit her. You never know when your time on this planet is over. 10/29/2009 7:42 AM MST on wwmt.com
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 | levlwon wrote: randym: You got very lucky to have yours break when it did. There are laws governing the safety chain strength and in Michigan, the chains and connection to the frame are supposed to be of sufficient strength to continue to hold and pull the trailer even when loaded to the trailer's max load. It's also up to the owner to maintain it. If they see it may be rusting through, the owner must have it inspected. Even if only one of the welds on the trailer in the story were good, I would think the trailer would still be connected to the van. I'll be interested to see if it was connected properly and whether the driver may be charged. So sad every way you look at it. 10/29/2009 5:08 AM MST on wwmt.com
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 | randym wrote: If you watch Ch. 8 news they have a better and more in depth story on this....The pin holding the receiver in the hitch must have fallen out because the whole receiver came out... And those of you who talk about the safety chains not being hooked up must have never had a trailer. I won't say all but, some trailer makers don't weld the chains well enough to the trailer frame so they can break off so easy.... I broke the chains off my trailer when I was pulling away from from trailer slow because, I had forgot to discount them before pulling away.... My heart goes out to all involved in the accident including the guy driving the van.... 10/28/2009 10:46 PM MST on wwmt.com
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 | bobinutah wrote: Somebody didn't do something right here. You are right spartanman. Somebody must not have connected the safety chains. Trailers don't just end up air born. 10/28/2009 7:46 PM MST on wwmt.com
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| | mcgerm wrote: If they didn't connect the chains or it was an improper hitch then the van driver should be charged with manslaughter. 10/28/2009 7:07 PM MST on wwmt.com
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 | humbleharry wrote: God's grace and comfort on this family. 10/28/2009 4:37 PM MST on wwmt.com
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 | spartanman wrote: What the hell? Didn't they connect the chains? 10/28/2009 2:40 PM MST |
October 28, 2009 4:35 PM
KENT COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A 46-year-old woman from Rockford has died after a utility trailer became disconnected from the van towing it.
The Kent County Sheriff's Department says that the incident occurred at 10 Mile Road in Courtland Township, when a utility trailer being towed by a white van became disconnected. The trailer became airborne and struck a vehicle driven by a 46-year-old woman from Rockford.
Deputies say the tongue of the trailer broke through the windshield, striking both occupants of the vehicle. The driver of the car was pronounced dead on the scene from fatal chest injuries. The front seat passenger of that vehicle suffered minor injuries and was transported to Butterworth Hospital.
| | ronmelancon wrote: When you get a moment please say a prayer for the victim. Then go to www.dangeroustrailers.org and note... that this accident could have happened to each and every reader of this posting. No regulations,, NO training,, no standards,,, for this class of vehicle. Your state has nothing to charge him with... the most he will be charged with is an $80 fine and an unsecured load. That is it. Please note that since 1975 over 15,211 lives have been lost by "passenger cars that tow trailers" It is the lobby and special interest groups that are funded by U Haul and companies like Carry on trailers that have stopped our efforts and the Federal Government from doing anything about this pressing issue. Please note... every time you are behind one of these trailers... get out of the way! 10/29/2009 11:57 AM MST on wwmt.com
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| | monkeybread wrote: Must be Satan was responsible for the trailer and GOD worked in his mysterious way letting that poor 46 year old woman take the trailer tongue in the chest. It must be a miracle the passenger wasn't killed as well. Praise GOD, hallelujah, ....e-sarcasm. 10/29/2009 8:32 AM MST on wwmt.com
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| | scottephoto wrote: I remember years back when a woman mowing her lawn was struck and killed when a trailer from a tandem-trailer broke loose and hit her. You never know when your time on this planet is over. 10/29/2009 7:42 AM MST on wwmt.com
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| | levlwon wrote: randym: You got very lucky to have yours break when it did. There are laws governing the safety chain strength and in Michigan, the chains and connection to the frame are supposed to be of sufficient strength to continue to hold and pull the trailer even when loaded to the trailer's max load. It's also up to the owner to maintain it. If they see it may be rusting through, the owner must have it inspected. Even if only one of the welds on the trailer in the story were good, I would think the trailer would still be connected to the van. I'll be interested to see if it was connected properly and whether the driver may be charged. So sad every way you look at it. 10/29/2009 5:08 AM MST on wwmt.com
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| | randym wrote: If you watch Ch. 8 news they have a better and more in depth story on this....The pin holding the receiver in the hitch must have fallen out because the whole receiver came out... And those of you who talk about the safety chains not being hooked up must have never had a trailer. I won't say all but, some trailer makers don't weld the chains well enough to the trailer frame so they can break off so easy.... I broke the chains off my trailer when I was pulling away from from trailer slow because, I had forgot to discount them before pulling away.... My heart goes out to all involved in the accident including the guy driving the van.... 10/28/2009 10:46 PM MST on wwmt.com
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| | bobinutah wrote: Somebody didn't do something right here. You are right spartanman. Somebody must not have connected the safety chains. Trailers don't just end up air born. 10/28/2009 7:46 PM MST on wwmt.com
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| | mcgerm wrote: If they didn't connect the chains or it was an improper hitch then the van driver should be charged with manslaughter. 10/28/2009 7:07 PM MST on wwmt.com
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| | humbleharry wrote: God's grace and comfort on this family. 10/28/2009 4:37 PM MST on wwmt.com
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| | spartanman wrote: What the hell? Didn't they connect the chains? 10/28/2009 2:40 PM MST |
5 minutes earlier and that could have been my wife and kids that got hit. Still, it's shocking when one of your neighbors gets killed in such a random way - could have been anyone. I'm guessing there was no backup safety attachment of the trailer to the vehicle such as chains/cables, as required by law. If that's true, I'd expect some serious fines and/or charges.