In the wake of a rude awakening

Times Contributor

 

A 6 a.m. house call, by a couple of semi-truck tires, has Bill Oriold of Cheadle fending off media and meeting with claim adjusters, insurance structural engineers, cleanup crews, and restoration people. The tires, which weigh close to 400 pounds, damaged doors, walls and ceiling. The momentum cracked a floor joist, left carpet filled with glass fragments, smashed cabinetry and threw wreckage at treasured animal mounts done by his son.  

“I’d rather be in front of the camera with a lotto cheque than this,” said Oriold about his recent near brush with death and fame. “You have to see it to believe it.”

The wheels, complete with hubs, flew off a passing semi-truck, travelled off Hwy 24, burst through a neighbour’s fence and bounced against a power pole in front of the house. An antique wheel mounted on the post was driven hard enough to leave a one-inch deep imprint. The tires, still airborne, crashed through the screen and exterior front door, up through the stairwell railing and grazed the wall at about 4 ft high. The tires crashed to a stop in a stub wall of Oriold’s newly renovated kitchen. 

Oriold’s house sits across from the Welcome to Cheadle sign along Hwy 24.There is a reduced speed of 80km posted on the road, but Oriold says the trucks do not observe the limits.

“They rush through here at 100 to 120 km an hour. We get a lot of truck traffic going through here. We get them from the south, from the States, off 901 and 22X, coming out from Glenmore Trail. I have seen so many close calls out here, “said Oriold.

Currently, the road is a two-lane asphalt with no medians. There are only grass ditch banks which separate traffic from the local neighbourhood. Oriold is concerned that with the new Hwy 1 interchange traffic will increase. He does not want to think what could have happened if it had been the truck and not just the tires that crashed through the wall. His wife and granddaughter were home at the time and he said it was just chance that no one was injured.

‘“I told 911 that truck tires crashed through my house and they asked ‘well, where’s the truck?’” 

County councillors have contacted Oriold to find out his suggestions about preventing accidents like this from happening again. He suggests implementing a significant reduction in the speed limit and enforcing it. 

“Totally reduce the speed limit. Number one, I`m not saying that at 70 or 80 clicks that the wheels still wouldn`t do damage, but they may not have had the speed up,” suggested Oriold about the flying debris.

The driver of the truck realized he was missing the wheels when he did an inspection in Edmonton. The RCMP are still investigating the case. The driver’s company has been in contact Oriold to investigate damages.

Every year there are a number of accidents caused by flying highway debris and some of the debris comes from parts dropping off vehicles.

The Alberta Vehicle Inspection Program endeavors to reduce those accidents by monitoring vehicles on a regular basis. There are currently 121 Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers in the province. It is their responsibility to check for inspection decals and paperwork which corroborate that licensed mechanics have certified the vehicles meet safety standards. Registered owners are responsible for ensuring that each bus, truck, light truck, or trailer owned by them receives the required inspection.

Brendan Cox, spokesperson for Alberta Solicitor General and Public Safety, stated under Alberta’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Regulation, all commercial vehicle drivers operating vehicles over 11,798 kgs are required to complete and document a comprehensive trip inspection, and the carrier is required to maintain the trip inspection reports for six months to confirm compliance in the event of an audit. Under the Alberta Traffic Safety Act 154, charges for infractions can be laid with penalties. Anywhere between a $230 fine, or payments of up to $25,000 can be levied, if the case appears before a judge.