My nephew's car was totaled last weekend

[Marthe48]

He lives in Ca. around LA. He was driving and had his daughter in the car. An oncoming truck had a load of tires that wasn't secured. One of the tires fell off the truck, and my nephew wasn't able to avoid hitting it. It totaled his car. Luckily, he and my great-niece are okay. She bumped her face on the car seat and was scared, but it could have been worse. The other driving was unaware that he was losing his load and didn't stop. The police who came to the accident weren't detectives and didn't try to track the other driver down. My nephew has liability insurance, but I guess he isn't getting much from the ins. co. So he started a Go Fund Me to try to get some money to put on another car.

He is a special ed. teacher. He's lived in Ca. for many years. When he lived in other parts of LA, he rode a bike to work and back. He'd make sandwiches every day and on his way to work, stop where some homeless people were set up on the street and give them sandwiches. Now that he lives in an apartment building, he sets a box of grocery staples out every week with a note that says "please take one" His little girl helps him fill it. I'm very proud of his kindness.

If anyone wants to read his Go Fund Me link: https://gofund.me/6bcca4f9

He mentioned that if anyone gives $100.00 he will give them a piece of art. Either made by him, or by him and his daughter. He does some great abstract dimensional art.

I've seen people mention Go Fund Me on DU previously, but if things have changed, please let me know and i will delete this post. Thank you.

[Marthe48]

1. I posted the link on Facebook

One of my husband's cousins just replied to that post that their car was hit by a runaway tire yesterday! They live in TN.

I am stunned. I haven't heard of such a thing, and happens to 2 different relatives in a week! They posted pictures and that tire left a big dent on the side of their car. Makes me want to stay home :/

[tblue37]

3. My parked car was totaled about 20 or so years ago when a wheel came off a passing pickup.

[Marthe48]

5. I guess this happens more than we'd like to think

[CentralMass]

2. Years ago my sister lost a rear wheel on her car while driving on a divided highway.

She had a Mercury Lynx that she had just had the brakes replaced on. The car was a front wheel drive so the rear end had sort of an axle spindles setup where the rear wheels mounted on with a bearing assembly along with the heavy wheel from for the rear drum brakes. The garage apparently forgot to put the cotterpin on that holds the spindle nut on the left rear wheel. So was driving at about 55mph going up a slight hill when the wheel came off. Once off the car it out accelerated the car and drifted to the center median where it struck the curb and went airborne over the guard railing into the center of the front grill of a Buick doing about 60 coming down the hill in the opposing lane. It totaled the Buick. Amazingly the couple driving were shaken up but unscathed. The mass of the tire with the steel rim with the brake drumnstill bolted to the rim was a very heavy flywheel with enough kinetic energy to be deadly.

[Marthe48]

4. Husband's cousin said the tire came off a van

that had just had tires rotated at a Jiffy Lube, and they didn't tighten the lug nuts. Unbelievable.