Trailer Safety To Prevent Accidents

A trailer being pulled by a pickup truck came loose and hit a motorcyclist causing a fatal accident on Sunday.  It happened around 11:30 on I-16 westbound at mile marker 151...a mile west of the Bloomingdale Road exit.  News Three spoke with Metro Police Monday about those types of trailers and how to make sure they're connected safely.

Officer Brad Beddow says the problem he sees most often when pulling someone towing a trailer over is in the connection, “A lot of them aren't hooked up properly - the safety chains aren't crossed and they're not equipped with the brakes that they're required to be equipped with.”

Though police haven't said exactly what caused the accident on I-16 - we do know that a trailer being towed behind a truck in the eastbound lanes somehow came loose and struck a motorcyclist in the west bound lanes.  Officer Beddow says if you're traveling behind or next to a trailer there are some things you should look out for that could signal a problem, “Tires that appear to be wobbly - parts on the trailer that appear to be loose - that might be getting ready to fall off or the load that they're carrying.”

Any cargo carried on one of those types of trailers is required by law to be secured...officers say loose cargo falling from a trailer is one of the biggest risks to you or your vehicle.  If you notice a problem and can safely signal to the driver towing the trailer - the officer says you should try to do so - unfortunately he says many drivers know there's a problem and continue to drive anyway, “It's imperative that that driver walk around and check and make sure everything is connected on that vehicle. If you're traveling on the road several hundred miles that day - stop periodically and check to make sure everything is secure - nothing comes loose you know - if that was done I’m sure we probably would not have had a fatal wreck yesterday.”

The driver of the truck towing that trailer - Gerald Adams - has been charged with driving an unsafe or improperly equipped vehicle and 2nd degree vehicular homicide.  He was released shortly after his arrest Sunday on a 25-hundred dollar bond.