Charges Possible In Freak Accident That Killed Driver On Interstate 5
It was a freak accident on Interstate 5 that put a man who recently moved to Sacramento on his deathbed.
A big rig tire flew off a trailer and through Kyle Hubbard's windshield on Feb. 14. He died over the weekend from his injuries, and the California Highway Patrol now says the driver of the trailer could face criminal charges.
It's one of those stories that leaves you thinking what are the odds.
Hubbard was driving northbound on Interstate 5 near Sutterville Road when a trailer heading south hauling a prefabricated home lost a wheel that somehow ended up smashing through the 31-year-old's windshield.
When the tire flew off the trailer's passenger side, it had to cross every southbound lane, the concrete median and two more northbound lanes before hitting Hubbard's Ford Taurus.
He suffered major head injuries, and after more than a week in the hospital, he died over the weekend.
"It's one of those freak things," said CHP officer Mike Bradley. "I've seen wheels come off before. They're inflated, they do bounce, they're heavy."
The CHP says it's true that Hubbard couldn't avoid the tire, and investigators are checking the trailer for any possible negligence.
"It's very possible civil suits could be filed," Bradley said. "It's possible there could be a criminal complaint."
Depending on the findings, charges could be filed all the way up to involuntary manslaughter.
The big rig and trailer are owned by Ernie's Mobile Home Transport out of Olivehurst. Under the advice of an attorney, they had no comment.
The CHP says a female passenger who was traveling to work with Hubbard was not injured in the freak accident.
