Runaway Trailers Cause Damage

• July
• 25

5:47 am Trailers

Runaway trailers can cause devastating crashes, resulting in serious injuries and/or deaths. Trailers detach from their guidance sources more often than most people realize, despite the catastrophic damage they cause.

The government does not organize or supply national runaway trailer statistics for public access. However, the Los Angeles Times identified 540 runaway trailer accidents from news reports and court files between 2000 and 2007. These runaway trailer accidents resulted in hundreds of injuries and at least 164 deaths. It is likely that there were many more runaway trailer accidents, injuries, and deaths that were not reported by news sources.

The Los Angeles Times found many types of runaway trailer accidents in their investigation. However, the research showed that the large majority of runaway trailer accidents involved light- and medium-trailers, as opposed to large truck-trailers (i.e. big rigs, 18-wheelers, semi-tractors, etc.).

On December 15, 2004, Earl J. Buetow was the victim of a runaway trailer accident. Buetow was driving northbound on Sierra Highway in his 1990 Dodge pickup truck, behind a Chevy Tahoe that was towing a trailer. At a bump in the pavement, the trailer broke loose from its attachment to the Chevy Tahoe and careened right into oncoming traffic. A southbound driver of a Ford Expedition swerved to avoid the runaway trailer. The Expedition collided, head on, with Buetow’s Dodge pickup, killing Earl J. Buetow instantly upon impact.