I didn't know where to put this so decided the Everything Else. These motorists, whom we are not identifying, endured a very frightening moment shortly before 11 a.m. today as they were driving on Route 95 southbound in Topsfield. A landscaper driving a dump truck in front of them had failed to properly secure an axe, which flew off the truck and struck the windshield of the car behind it. Thankfully, the axe only went halfway through the windshield. The passenger who is partially seen in the photo was shaken up (who wouldn't be?) but not injured. Trooper Joseph Risteen of the Newbury Barracks responded to the scene and cited the truck driver, who is from Peabody, for failure to secure cargo, which carries a $200 fine. Two important lessons here: 1.) Contractors and all other motorists are reminded to properly secure items they are transporting, including tools, building materials, bicycles, canoes, luggage, furniture, beach chairs, and the like. 2.) The man whose car was struck was obeying the speed limit, driving about 65 mph. If he had been speeding, the increased velocity of his car would have increased the power of the axe's impact, meaning it could very well have gone through the glass and injured his passenger. Please remember those lessons. We are very thankful that this situation did not have a worse ending.
Yikes. As usual, journalists try to make it sound worse than it is...just saying its not an axe....but talk about burying the hatchet!
Just to be contrary . From dictionary dot com: noun 1. a small, short-handled ax having the end of the head opposite the blade in the form of a hammer, made to be used with one hand. Therefore, a hatchet is an axe, but an axe is not a hatchet.
Seriously though, who would have expected something as heavy as a hatchet to come off the truck? Just shows that we probably should not just stick our saws in the wood but use elastic cords, etc to add a bit more security to anything falling.
Now that would be referring to the size of the head, right? Big head, axe...small head, hatchet. Must be a local thing; around here, no one would refer to that as an axe. Here's an image of someone securing their load....better safe than sorry, I guess.
Could just be the State Trooper. It happened in Massachusetts so maybe those on here from Massachusetts can chime in.
More than likely just a dumb azz journalist. A flying axe sounds much scarier! I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure this story is several years old. State Police were on a warpath for a while after this happened.
Wow, scary indeed! We always get concerned in snow and ice storms because the tractor trailers never clean it off the tops of their vehicles. Ya never know!
nothing gets the blood pumping better than cruising along and having giant sheets of 6-12" thick snow/ice coming at you!
That is possible. I have been annoyed at times to see news article appear that I know were old articles. Let me find it again and check the date. Still, it is a good reminder that we need to secure our equipment because even objects we think might not escape can.
Yes, I have seen that even here. Once it happened in front of me but I was far enough behind that it hit the road in front of me. Law states that you must clear your car of all snow and ice, yet some will just do the windows and get out on the road.
