Mother, 52, is killed instantly when wheel flies off Dodge pickup truck and smashes through her windshield in freak accident while she was driving her 17-old-son home from baseball
- Carol Hardy driving a white GMC with her son, Kayden, after his tournament
- Wheel flew off a truck going in opposite direction and went through windshield
- GMC hit another car but Kayden was only lightly injured and is now back home
A Texas mother died instantly when a wheel smashed through her windshield after coming loose from a Dodge pickup truck in a freak accident while she was driving her teenage son home from baseball.
Carol Hardy, 52, was travelling in a white GMC pickup with her 17-year-old son, Kayden, in a southbound lane on the Eastex Freeway in New Caney when the wheel from the Dodge travelling northbound flew over the concrete partition.
Her son, who had been playing baseball in Lufkin, was asleep in the backseat at the time of the wreck at around 7.15pm on Thursday, was taken to hospital with a hand injury. He is now back home, while the 16-year-old driver of the Dodge was unhurt.
Carol Hardy, 52, was travelling in a white GMC pickup with her 17-year-old son, Kayden, in a southbound lane on the Eastex Freeway in New Caney
The wheel (pictured) from the Dodge travelling northbound flew over the concrete partition
After the wheel struck, the Hardy’s truck hit a nearby Buick, injuring the driver, but they have also been released from hospital, ABC13 reported.
No charges have yet been filed against the Dodge driver and the crash is still under investigation.
Hardy, from Hockley, was a mother of two to Kayden and a daughter, Caly, and wife to Ron Hardy
However, mechanical engineer Mike Poutous, of Poutous Collision and Mechanical, said the incident may have been caused by the rupture of one of the hub bearings – which attaches the wheel to the vehicle’s chassis.
He said that this problem would have created lots of noise, so it should have been obvious to the driver that there was a problem.
‘You’ll have slop in the steering wheel, you turn the wheel and the car is not responsive or in the case of the hub bearing you’ll have a noise – it gets quite loud,’ he said.
Hardy, from Hockley, was a mother of two to Kayden and a daughter, Caly, and wife to Ron Hardy, according to a GoFundMe page.
A dedication reads: ‘She was her kids’ biggest fan, and quite possibly the nicest person you’ve ever met.
‘The family now needs to pay the funeral costs and for the hospital bills. During this difficult time we ask that you give what you can and say a prayer for this family.
‘This is an unexpected loss that has left her family completely heartbroken.’
No charges have yet been filed against the Dodge driver and the crash is still under investigation
The family’s white GMC pickup. Pictured at the front of the photo is more debris from the crash
In 2017, 738 people died in tire-related crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The NHTSA insists that most of these incidents are preventable, and has released safety guidance for motorists.
Advice includes having your tires checked at least ones a year and regularly checking them to ensure they are properly inflated.
Hardy’s truck hit a nearby Buick (pictured), injuring the driver, but they have also been released from hospital
The NHTSA insists that most of these incidents are preventable, and has released safety guidance for motorists