LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Investigators are looking into what caused tires to come loose from two separate vehicles, killing two young Kentuckians in separate incidents over the last three weeks.
"We don't hear about a whole tire coming off a car and doing that kind of damage, so it's unusual," said Lori Weaver Hawkins of AAA of the Bluegrass.
In the early morning hours of July 16, the Boone County Sheriff's Office said a tire came loose from a truck on I-75, bounced across the median, and smashed into the windshield of 18-year-old Lauren Collins' car. Collins died from her injuries, investigators said.
Then, earlier this week, Lexington police said a car driving along I-75 lost one of its tires, which hit and killed 18-year-old Braxton Willoughby.
So far, there's no indication of how those tires came loose, but Weaver Hawkins said there are some steps everyone should take to minimize that possibility.
"When we talk about wheels going off, it's usually what we call fastener failure," Weaver Hawkins said.
The fasteners are those lug nuts that keep the tire in place. Over time, Weaver Hawkins said, they could deteriorate or potentially rattle loose. She said you should check them every couple of weeks, as well as checking your tire pressure and tread.
"Look to make sure all of your lug nuts are in place. You can certainly check to make sure they're tight as well," Weaver Hawkins said.
Regular maintenance and tire rotations can catch problems early.
"You start to hear an odd noise, whether it's a thumping noise or some kind of noise that you are not used to your tires making or your vehicle making. Don't ignore that. Don't just turn up your music so you can't hear it and head down the road. Get that vehicle in to get checked. It could be a serious problem," Weaver Hawkins said.
