- A loose tire crossed the median before crashing into an SUV on Interstate 76.
- Tesla dashcam footage captured the entire incident from just ahead of the collision.
- Authorities have not yet identified where the tire came from or reported injuries.
We’ve often covered the aftermath of a loose tire crash. Vehicles involved in loose-tire crashes can come away looking like they were hit by a falling meteor. What we don’t often get to see is the moment everything goes wrong. New dashcam footage from Philadelphia captures exactly that, showing a rogue tire turning into a highway projectile in just a matter of seconds.
The incident happened around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday on Interstate 76 near Girard Avenue in Philadelphia. According to WPVI, a Tesla driver was traveling westbound on the Schuylkill Expressway when the vehicle’s onboard cameras captured a tire suddenly bouncing over the highway median. The first obvious thing is that it’s very large, and it’s moving very, very quickly.
Read: Runaway Tire Hits Jeep Wrangler Head-On
Based on the camera footage, it’s possible that this is a semi truck wheel and tire assembly. It bounces over the concrete highway divider and then slams into a Nissan Rogue in the left-most lane. The damage is significant and catastrophic. The entire front end crumples in, the windshield is smashed, and the bumper is unrecognizable. If there’s any good news, it’s that the crash structure appears to have done its job.
Interestingly, the Tesla driver told Action News he didn’t realize what had happened at that moment. He heard the impact behind him but only understood the sequence of events after reviewing his vehicle’s camera footage later. While the video leaves little doubt about just how destructive a loose wheel can be, there’s still plenty investigators don’t know. It’s unclear what vehicle the tire came from or how it became separated in the first place. Authorities also hadn’t confirmed whether anyone inside the SUV was injured as of Wednesday evening.
The entire incident is just one more good reminder to remain alert at all times when behind the wheel. Even the best drivers can encounter wildly unexpected dangers like this at a moment’s notice.
