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Runaway truck wheel kills woman
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published April 4, 2007
OCALA - A Gainesville woman was killed when a wheel broke off from a semitrailer and hit the windshield of the car she was riding in, the Florida Highway Patrol reported. Valeria Herrera, 30, died at the scene early Monday morning on Interstate 75, just north of Ocala. Herrera was riding in a northbound car driven by her mother, Marlene Salazar, 57, of Gainesville. The truck was heading south when front right wheels broke off and crossed the median into the northbound lane, the Highway Patrol reported. The patrol is still searching for the truck's driver. Lt. Mike Thomas said the truck driver stopped at a Petro Truck Stop to make repairs to the trailer, chaining up the front axle. Witnesses at the store told investigators the truck driver said he was making a 5 a.m. delivery of potatoes to the Lakeland area and would have the trailer repaired after the delivery. Witnesses reported that the driver did not appear nervous at the Petro stop and might have been unaware of the accident.
[Last modified April 4, 2007, 01:16:08]
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by Tonya
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04/04/07 10:44 PM
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Unfortunetly this is all too common. I was just a victim of the same concept a guy backed into my small suv and left not realizing. There needs to be a law making truck drivers report exact happenings so if this happens again we can find them for it!
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by ken
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04/04/07 09:26 PM
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IT HAD TO BE THE FRONT TIRES ON THE TRAILER. AND THE DRIVER MIGHT NAD NOT KNOW IT CAME OFF SINCE THERE IS EIGHT TIRES THERE. AND PEOPLE IF IT WASN'T FOR TRUCK DRIVERS YOU WOULDN'T HAVE YOUR GROC OR SHIRT ON YOUR BACK. HOW WOULD THEY GET THE STORE.
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by C
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04/04/07 03:51 PM
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The trucker was probably unaware his tire hit anyone if it went into the other lane in that area.
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by John
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04/04/07 02:38 PM
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I'm sure he had one of those "not responsible for debris" stickers on the truck to absolve him of any responsibility for killing this woman.
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by tina
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04/04/07 02:21 PM
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how can you not know that the tire is off your vehicle especially a semi truck. there is a reason why the driver cant be found and that is probably because he isnt suppose to be in the USA. he should step up to the plate and admit his mistake.
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by G
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04/04/07 12:52 PM
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I'm a little confused as to how this driver can be unaware of this incident happening, his front wheels broke off!!!!
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by A
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04/04/07 12:11 PM
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I drive the interstates everyday and it is the truckers that make me most nervous. Between the rocks, the scraps that fly off their trucks, and their driving...they need to only be on the road at night when there are least amount of cars.
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