Karl Pratt of Granbury, TX and the newly formed business, Safety Sentry Inc., is the inventor/owner of a hitch lock safety device that will prevent your trailer from becoming detached while towing all types of trailers including horse trailers, camping trailers, used trailers, RV trailers, cargo trailers and more. Whether it is for work or pleasure—for Class 2 and up to Class 5 hitch applications—it keeps your trailer and vehicle together throughout your journey. Also included is a Locking Safety Device (Theft Deterrent) that allows you peace of mind while leaving your vehicle and trailer unattended for extended periods of time. We have a Safety Sentry product for all types of trailer applications from the smallest of utility trailer to the largest bumper-pull RV trailer, Boat Trailers, camping trailers, used trailers, cargo trailers and Horse Trailers as well as for your Commercial Trucks & Trailers that you leave at the job site. The Safety Sentry comes as a complete package with cut-resistant stainless steel lock and washers that will fit any size. In June, he plans to market a Safety Sentry locking device for gooseneck trailers.
This is how it happened. While boating in Lake Lewisville several years ago, Mr. Pratt prepared to back up his pickup and trailer for loading but found that his trailer was missing. It was a custom-built trailer so not easily replaced. He had to call the police and his insurance company, pay for a docking slip, insurance deductible, and of course, a new trailer – making his day at the lake a very expensive one. As a result of this misadventure, he decided to design a trailer lock that would prevent this from happening again. He built a few for friends and associates but that was as far as it went back then.
In January 2009, he was inspired to update the design of the Safety Sentry for the added protection of lives as well as for the protection of property that would be very affordable for the working man and would not require any costly modifications to existing trailer hitches or bumpers. He did his due diligence in researching the facts about accidents due to disengagement of trailers including the resulting injuries and deaths of innocent victims as well as the number of reported thefts. He applied for a patent that is now pending and built the current safety trailer hitch lock prototype in his garage. He’s been building a business and giving opportunities to protect life and property ever since.
In just a few weeks, he expanded the marketing of his safety and security device from coast to coast, border to border, and beyond thanks to the internet. Hits on the website include viewers across the USA and even overseas from places like Great Britain, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and even Poland. All the news reports of accidents related to trailer disengagement is forwarded to him by www.DangerousTrailers.org almost daily. It is astounding how many accidents occur because of trailer disengagement and the lack of knowledge about trailer safety. Well-known trailer rental companies who reportedly lose about 4% of their trailers due to theft and another 4% due to unsafe practices have shown interest.
There are many states considering state-mandated trailer hitch laws. Research disclosed that there were two states that already had a law on their books requiring a hitch lock but which has never been enforced—Louisiana and Oklahoma. Oklahoma is revising their law to state “towing locking device AND safety chains” rather than “and/or” as it currently reads. Louisiana state agencies are reviewing their bill now that they know there is a device out there that will do the job. Virginia may be the first state to enforce their bill. There have been no negative votes in the readings within the House or Senate. Two more readings must be done after which the bill will go to the Governor for signature. Alabama is in the final revision of its bill so it could be next. Tennessee and Kentucky Congress will be in session in March and a similar bill is on the books for consideration. North Carolina and Maryland have expressed an interest in doing the same in March also. We will go from state to state, sharing the information we have gathered, to encourage them to join our mission of saving lives and protecting property.
The Texas Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Safety, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are aware of the potential for saving lives and protecting property on the highways through the use of the Safety Sentry trailer lock. Efforts are underway to elicit vehicle insurance reductions if Safety Sentry is used for trailer safety.
Safety Sentry Inc. continues to work with various entities to make everyone aware of the significant impact of trailer safety. There is an upcoming campaign to give away 100 Safety Sentry devices, two to each state by random drawing, for the Scouts of America after we found out that many of their supply trailers are lost to theft each year. There are opportunities in the works for fundraisers and charitable contributions through endorsements based on sales. The list continues to grow.
We are encouraging everyone to do their part to help save the lives of people and animals and protect property with the complete safety and security package in Safety Sentry. This is an affordable safety product that is made in the USA and which is helping to provide employment opportunities during this time of economic uncertainty and rising unemployment. You work hard to provide for your families and to protect the things you acquire. Think of the Safety Sentry as added insurance for life and property, for yours as well as for others.
www.SafetySentryInc.com
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
A Look at Trailer Accidents in Texas Over the Years
MANSFIELD OFFICER DIES IN HIT-RUN
The Dallas Morning News
May 24, 1986
Bobette Riner; Mid-Cities Bureau of The News The Dallas Morning News (DAL)
A 45-year-old motorcycle patrol officer was killed Friday morning when a cargo trailer snapped loose from an oncoming pickup truck and hit him head-on, police said.
Dan C. Cordes, a 20-year police veteran, became the first Mansfield officer killed in the line of duty. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Harris Hospital-Methodist in Fort Worth, where he was taken by CareFlite helicopter shortly after the 10:15 a.m. incident on Broad Street near U.S. Highway 287.
Authorities conducted a manhunt Friday for the driver of the pickup truck, who fled the scene and abandoned the truck about a half-mile from the accident site.
Investigators were attempting to verify late Friday whether the man is an escapee from a prison near Kansas City, Mo., said Deputy Chief Marvin Ivy.
Cordes was westbound on his motorcycle on Broad Street when the pickup, a 1959 Chevrolet Apache, approached on the two-lane street and the trailer broke loose, striking the officer, police said.
Witnesses told police the pickup continued without stopping and turned south on U.S. 287. Police found the pickup on the shoulder of the highway.
Investigators said that although the incident appeared to be unintentional, the truck driver made no effort to stop afterward.
Police said they were preparing an arrest warrant for the man for failure to stop and render aid. He apparently had used the trailer to help a woman move to a Mansfield apartment complex this week. A similar warrant was being prepared against the woman, who owns the truck, police said.
The Dallas and Fort Worth police helicopters were enlisted to help authorities from Arlington, Crowley, Tarrant County and Johnson County search nearby open fields where the driver apparently escaped on foot.
As officers from Mansfield's 19-member police force searched for the man, some took time to comfort Cordes' family and remember their colleague.
Cordes, Mansfield's first and only full-time motorcycle officer, was appreciated for his friendly nature and sense of humor, friends and colleagues said.
"Even if he wrote you a ticket, you'd walk away liking him,' said patrol Sgt. D.W. Simon.
"You won't find anybody in this town who would say anything bad about him -- even before he died,' Ivy said. "In my six years here, we never got a complaint against Officer Cordes.'
Several officers visited Cordes' home Friday to comfort his widow, Linda, and children Cindy, 18, and Todd, 14.
One officer, P. Pierce, who stayed with the family, said Cordes saw her through what could have been a difficult situation -- being the department's first female police officer.
"He taught me what being a good police officer is all about,' she said. "He was my partner, my friend, my inspiration -- and like a father to me.'
Officer Pierce said Cordes loved motorcycles so much that he moonlighted as a funeral escort "every chance he could.' He also taught her how to ride a motorcycle.
"That man was poetry in motion. No one could ride a motorcycle like him,' she said. "Whatever I do, Dan's always going to be with me. He's going to survive in the minds and hearts of everyone.'
Copyright 1986 The Dallas Morning News Company
Record Number: DAL230964
Accident on Loop 250 Leaves Behind a Big Mess
Staff Report
NewsWest 9
MIDLAND - Traffic slowed to a crawl on Tuesday morning in Midland after a crash including an 18-wheeler and a trailer.
Police say a white pick-up truck was pulling a trailer on Loop 250 when it went over the overpass near the north "A" Street exit.
A bump in the road caused the trailer to come unhitched and run across the median and hit the semi truck.
The wreck shut down one lane of traffic in each direction.
Luckily, no one was hurt.
Off-duty officer injured in accident By A Loose Trailer
Dallas Morning News, The (TX)
September 13, 1998
DALLAS - An off-duty Dallas police officer is in stable condition on Saturday after his car struck a loose trailer on eastbound Interstate 20, authorities said.
Saul Sarmiento, a southwest division officer, was driving to work at about 3:45 p.m. when a trailer disconnected from another car and struck his vehicle, police said.
Officer Sarmiento was taken to Methodist Medical Center, where he remained Saturday night. His injuries were not life-threatening, said Dallas police Sgt. Jim Chandler.
Both the Dallas and Grand Prairie police departments responded to the accident, which happened just east of Grand Prairie city limits.
No arrests were made in the accident, and police said they were not sure if weather played any role in the wreck.
Copyright 1998 Arlington Morning News
Record Number: 1048926
2 killed in crash; 3rd hurt Trailer hits students' SUV after coming loose, crossing I-30 median
Dallas Morning News, The (TX)
August 8, 2006
IAN McCANN; Staff Writer
Two Texas A&M University-Commerce students were killed and one was injured over the weekend when their SUV was hit by a trailer that came loose from a truck and crossed the Interstate 30 median just east of Royse City.
The women were returning to campus after a tubing trip, said university Police Chief Donna Spinato.
The survivor, identified as Rachel Ashley Bates, 18, of Commerce, was released Monday from Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, authorities said.
Flags at the university will fly at half-staff today in memory of Britney Lipsey, 20, of Celeste, in northern Hunt County, and Rachel Rollings, 22, of Coffeyville, Kan. Some were members of the Chi Omega sorority.
Chief Spinato said that the three were well-known at the school and that Ms. Rollings was a lifeguard at the university's recreation center.
"They were all very sweet girls," she said. "The university is saddened by the untimely deaths."
Ms. Lipsey's stepfather, Johnny Morrow, said he was struggling with his daughter's death in such a freak accident. He said Ms. Lipsey was a popular, athletic student at Celeste High School and was looking forward to a career in physical therapy.
"She played basketball, golf, was a cheerleader and homecoming queen," Mr. Morrow said. At the Commerce University, Ms. Lipsey was on the dean's list and was named a "dream girl" for the Phi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
Though she was outgoing and independent, Ms. Lipsey still made time to call home every day.
"We had no issues. Zero. We did everything together," Mr. Morrow said.
He said Ms. Rollings was an exceptional young woman who was close friends with Ms. Lipsey and often visited Ms. Lipsey's home, about 30 minutes from campus.
Ms. Rollings' family could not be reached Monday.
Royse City police said the trailer, carrying a car, came loose from a westbound truck and crossed the median about 2 p.m., hitting the SUV carrying the women.
The SUV rolled and came to a stop on its roof on the right side of the highway between FM35 and FM2642.
Staff writer Holly Yan contributed to this report.
E-mail imccann@dallasnews.com
Copyright 2006 The Dallas Morning News
Record Number: 1180475533
Runaway trailer pins, kills two children in Plainview
Houston Chronicle
SEPTEMBER 1, 1991
PLAINVIEW, TX (AP) - A young brother and sister were killed Saturday when a farm trailer broke loose from a truck and pinned them against another trailer in their aunt's front yard, officials said.
Aurelio Solorzano Jr., 6, and Jennifer Marie Solorzano, 2, were sitting in the front yard when the flatbed trailer hit them, said Yolanda Rodriguez, a neighbor who arrived soon after the accident.
The children were pinned between the runaway flatbed and a trailer hitched to a car in the yard, Rodriguez said. Hale County Justice of the Peace Shirley Groce declared the children dead on arrival at Central Plains Regional Hospital.
The pickup truck, driven by a 26-year-old man, had been pulling two trailers when the second one broke loose and traveled about 200 feet before hitting the children.
Officials, who did not release the name of the driver of the pickup, said Saturday no charges had been filed in connection with the accident.
Plainview is about 50 miles north of Lubbock in West Texas.
Copyright 1991 Houston Chronicle
Record Number: 09*01*807092
Lack of Safety Chains... Loose Trailer Kills Wife
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
July 21, 1991
O.K. Carter; Star-Telegram Writer
Not everyone making the lobby circuit in Austin during the current legislative session has some special interest ax to grind for a multi-billion dollar corporation.
Consider Bob Rankin, a data processing executive from Arlington who invested his vacation time sitting in capitol building legislative offices in the hope that he might be able to save a few lives over the next few years.
Rankin was the husband of Sheri Rankin, killed in Arlington May 10 when a trailer came loose from a towing vehicle and struck her car in opposite-bound traffic. Police estimated that she was driving only 35 mph at the time, and she was wearing a seatbelt. Even so, her small car was no match for a trailer load of steel beams.
"Incredibly, the trailer didn't have safety chains attached to the vehicle," said Rankin, who since then has discovered that Texas is one of only eight states that don't require safety chains.
He's made it a personal agenda-lobbying item since, even attempting to get an audience with Gov. Ann Richards to place the issue on the special session docket.
He's unlikely to succeed this time around, but Arlington's legislative delegation - particularly Rep. Kim Brimer - is likely to support his efforts in the future.
Though no statistics are available on runaway trailer accidents, such incidents are more common than might be expected. Not too long ago a Mansfield police officer was also killed by a runaway trailer.
Patriotic debit: Insurance executive Pete Morris took it on himself to be the official provider of Arlington July 4 festivities apparel - t-shirts, hats and the like - and he sold a lot of the stuff, with kick-ins to the 4th of July Committee.
It's not too late for a swell Independence Day 1991 Arlington t-shirt or Frisbee - maybe even with a big discount. Morris is open to negotiation at 274-5535.
Friendly help: Arlington Charities ran out of cash long before it ran out of needs at its new Secretary Street office.
But they found a host of rescuers - from Tom Foster some general construction work, Rocky Walton wrote a check for overhead fans, Hugh Ross provided the outside sign, Elton Smith the pantry shelving, Sodd Electric some needed electric work and Wayne Clark the phone system installation.
"It seemed like every time we needed help, a small miracle happened to see us through," said volunteer Evelyn Coles. "People helped us at every turn and didn't ask for a single bit of credit."
Indeed, Arlington Charities probably wouldn't be able to continue functioning as well as it does without a host of volunteers - people like Nancy Smith, Dr. John Decker, Dr. Harold Berman, John Davis, Bob Essler and P.T. Putnman to name a few.
A bigger miracle: Outgoing Arlington Cares chairman Melissa Saltamachio officially signed off her year at the helm by signing a couple of big checks - $20,000 to the Arlington Multiple Sclerosis Association chapter and a larger than expected $24,100 check to the local John Peter Smith Clinic.
The $44,100 total was a new Arlington Cares record - one that new chairwoman Anita Gatchel plans to eclipse next spring.
"We're shooting for a $50,000 donation," Gatchel said.
Arlington Cares selects a different charity every year, a process taking place this month and next.
Gatchel hopes to expand earnings by expanding the Arlington Cares weekend - it includes a gala, 10-K run, tennis tournament and golf tournament - to Arlington Cares Week, spreading and expanding participation over several days.
O.K. Carter's column appears here every Sunday, and in the Arlington section of the Star-Telegram on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Copyright 1991, 1994 STAR-TELEGRAM INC.
Record Number: FWST36378
Trailer breaks loose from pickup, injuring 2 women on Interstate 20
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
November 21, 1998
Author: Toya Stewart; Star-Telegram Writer
ARLINGTON, TX - Two women were injured when a trailer attached to a pickup broke loose along Interstate 20 during rush hour early yesterday and collided with their car, Arlington police said.
The wreck occurred at 7:32 a.m. on Interstate 20 between Matlock Road and Collins Street.
The women, ages 28 and 45, were treated and released, a Harris Methodist Fort Worth spokeswoman said.
The trailer, carrying a drum of yellow paint and a compressor, crossed the median going east and struck the westbound 1992 4-door Plymouth Acclaim, police said. The wreck spilled paint across the westbound lanes of the highway.
The driver of the pickup was issued citations for not having evidence of insurance, registration or an inspection sticker, as well as not having safety chains attached to the trailer.
Police said they were unable to determine the speed of the traffic or the speed of the trailer after it detached from the pickup.
Yellow paint covered the highway for approximately two hours until sand was put down to absorb it, police said.
Within 30 minutes two lanes along the highway had opened, and the remaining two were open by 9:30 a.m. "It was a mess, but we got out of this one really lucky," said Arlington police officer Jess Minton. "That time of morning, the traffic is much heavier going toward Dallas."
Robert Tharp contributed to this report.
Toya Stewart, (817) 548-5521 toyastewart@star-telegram.com
Copyright 1998 Star-Telegram, Inc.
Record Number: 571672
Trailer with trees breaks loose, hits car on N. I-35W
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX)
April 20, 2001
FORT WORTH - A horse trailer carrying peach trees came unhitched from a northbound pickup on Interstate 35W near the Basswood Boulevard exit Thursday night, rolling across the median and hitting a southbound Toyota head-on.
A white extended-cab truck in the southbound lane then hit the right front passenger side of the Toyota, police Sgt. Anne Cummings said.
The driver of the Toyota was taken to Harris Methodist Fort Worth hospital. Judging by the damage to the car, he was probably in "extremely critical" condition, Cummings said. His name was not released Thursday night.
The pickup and Toyota were in the 7400 block of the North Freeway when the trailer came loose from the pickup about 4:30 p.m., Cummings said.
The family in the pickup and the driver of the extended-cab truck were not injured.
Southbound traffic was reduced to one lane, delaying travel for several hours
Runaway trailer injures woman, three children
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
May 1, 1998
Author: Brian D. Crecente; Star-Telegram Writer
ARLINGTON, TX - A woman and three children were injured yesterday when the van they were in was hit by a runaway trailer.
Van driver Rhonda Gerrity was taken to Harris Methodist Fort Worth, where she was listed in serious but stable condition last night.
Andrew Gerrity, 4, was taken to Cook Children's Hospital, where he was listed in good condition.
An 8-year-old passenger, whose name was not released, was taken to Arlington Memorial Hospital, where he was listed in good condition.
Rachel Finley, 15, was taken to Harris Methodist Fort Worth, where she was listed in good condition.
The accident occurred about 4 p.m. when a trailer, made from the bed of a pickup, broke loose from a Jeep Wagoneer at the top of a hill on Park Row Drive, accident investigator Dan Whittington said.
The trailer hitch popped off the Jeep, and a single safety chain being used to secure it broke loose, he said.
The eastbound trailer, loaded with about 700 pounds of car parts, rolled down the hill, crossed the median and hit a westbound Ford Aerostar on the left side of the front bumper, he said. The trailer bounced over the bumper, rolled onto the hood of the van and into the windshield, he said. The impact knocked the van back across the two lanes and into a nearby front yard.
Logan Haghighi, who was driving the Jeep, said he heard "trailer noises" shortly after turning onto Park Row Drive near the top of the hill.
"I was coming down the hill and I felt the trailer hitting the back of the truck, so I slammed on my brakes," he said. "The trailer started moving side to side and broke the chain."
Haghighi said he tried to use the Jeep to stop the trailer but was unsuccessful.
Finley was in one of the back seats of the van when the accident happened, she said.
"We were just driving and the trailer came through the windshield and my sister started screaming, `I can't feel my legs,' " she said.
"We saw the trailer coming and swerved, but it swerved with us."
Finley said she pulled her 2-year-old niece and an 8-year-old family friend from the van and tried to get help for her sister, who was trapped behind the steering wheel.
After the accident, Finley stood in the yard with her arms crossed, watching firefighters use hydraulic cutters to free her sister from the van.
Caption:
PHOTO(S): Bruce Maxwell
Copyright 1998 Star-Telegram, Inc.
Record Number: 525798
Trailer fatally injures man on South Wayside
Houston Chronicle
May 23, 2002
Author: From staff and wire reports
A trailer that came disengaged from a vehicle in east Houston veered onto a sidewalk and pinned a man against a dirt embankment, fatally injuring him.
Reynaldo Antonio Benitez, 39, of the 800 block of Fair Oaks died at Ben Taub Hospital.
An improperly secured trailer broke loose when the car pulling it hit a bump in the 400 block of South Wayside on Tuesday, police said.
They said charges were pending against the 54-year-old man towing the trailer.
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
Record Number: 3547773
Youth killed when trailer breaks from truck
Houston Chronicle
September 2, 1986
Author: Staff
ARCOLA - A 13-year-old Houston youth was killed and four people were injured when a homemade horse trailer broke away from a pickup truck, striking the vehicle in which they were riding.
Michael Carl Douglas of 4322 Marchant was pronounced dead at 4:40 p.m. Sunday on FM 521, a half-mile south of Texas 6. Listed in serious condition in Fort Bend Community Hospital are Robert C. White, 32, an accounting officer of 4326 Marchant in Houston, who was driving the 1974 GMC vehicle; Robert Tremaine, 10; and Marcus White, 4, both of the same Houston address.
One of the driver's sons, Joshua White, 5, was in pediatric intensive care at Hermann Hospital.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the horse trailer broke loose from a pickup truck after it crossed a railroad track on FM 521. The trailer then crossed into the northbound lane, colliding with White's vehicle.
The driver of the pickup pulling the trailer was not injured, DPS reports said.
Copyright 1986 Houston Chronicle
Record Number: HSC0902263680
School bus driver killed, 4 kids hurt Loose Trailer
Houston Chronicle
May 20, 2000
DERWOOD, Md. (AP) - A trailer carrying a tractor broke loose from a farm truck and crashed into a school bus Friday, killing the bus driver and injuring four children, police said.
Three children were airlifted by helicopter to Children's Hospital in Washington and another child was taken away by ambulance.
A spokesman for Children's Hospital said a 5-year-old girl was listed in critical condition and a 5-year-old girl and 11-year-old girl were in serious condition. The condition of the fourth injured child was not immediately known.
The rest of about 30 children going home were transported to another hospital to be checked for minor injuries and reunited with their parents.
The driver of a farm truck carrying a tractor on a trailer lost control. The trailer separated from the truck and crashed into the front of the school bus. The farm truck driver was also sent to a hospital with minor injuries.
Derwood is near Rockville, about 20 miles north of downtown Washington.
Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle
Record Number: 3215908
Loose trailer kills man, 76
Abilene Reporter-News (TX)
August 5, 2005
A Breckenridge man was killed Thursday when a trailer became unhooked from a pickup truck and slammed into his car, Department of Public Safety Trooper Richard Atkinson said.
James Brown, 76, had just turned west into his private drive off of FM 2231 in Stephens County when the trailer came loose and struck his car in the rear passenger door.
Brown suffered a head injury and was pronounced dead at the scene.
His wife, Rebecca Brown, 76, was a passenger in the vehicle and was taken to Stephens Memorial Hospital in Breckenridge for treatment of lacerations and bruises.
The driver of the truck was Jason Kirkland, 32, of Lubbock.
No charges have been filed, and Aktinson said the accident is still under investigation.
The Stephens County Sheriff's Office, EMS, DPS and the Breckenridge Fire Department responded to the accident.
-Blanca Cantu
Copyright (c) 2005 Abilene Reporter-News
Record Number: 0805 NW LC kill
Sisters killed in crash by a loose trailer
Houston Chronicle
March 10, 1997
Author: Staff
Two young daughters of a Conroe couple died when their Suburban collided with a trailer that had broken loose from a pickup, officials said Sunday.
Holly Snell, 7, was killed instantly and her sister, Heather, 9, was pronounced dead shortly after the 5 p.m. Saturday accident in south Montgomery County.
Robert Snell, 33, and, his wife, Terry, and two other daughters, Ashley and Amber, were taken to local hospitals where they were treated for cuts and bruises, officials said.
The accident occurred near the intersection of Sleepy Hollow and Running Deer roads when the trailer became disengaged from the pickup and collided with the Chevrolet Suburban being driven by Robert Snell, Texas Department of Public Safety records indicate.
The Suburban then smashed into a ditch, landing on its side, the accident report said.
No charges had been filed Sunday against the driver of the pickup.
Everyone in the Snell's vehicle was wearing a safety belt at the time of the accident, the report said
Copyright 1997 Houston Chronicle
Record Number: HSC03101399482
Rock Island man killed in accident Loose Trailer
Victoria Advocate, The (TX)
March 23, 2002
EAGLE LAKE -- A Rock Island resident was killed when a trailer hit his pickup on U.S. Highway 90 A approximately 4.9 miles west of Eagle Lake Thursday evening.
William Burton Arrison, 42, of Rock Island, was declared dead at 8:51 p.m. at the scene of the wreck. According to a Department of Public Safety report, a homemade flatbed utility trailer separated from a pickup traveling east on the highway and hit Arrison's 1999 Chevrolet pickup, which was moving west. Arrison was ejected from his truck, which rolled over on him, police said.
The trailer was being pulled by a 1997 Chevrolet pickup being driven by Doyle L. Noska, 55, of Columbus, police said. The police report states that the trailer came loose, crossed the centerline of the roadway and struck Arrison's truck.
The load on the trailer then hit a 1993 Buick being driven by Wanda F. Zbranek, 69, of Sheridan, which was traveling behind Arrison.
Arrison was declared dead at the scene of the accident by Justice of the Peace Larry L. Dulany of Colorado County. Zbranek and Noska were not injured in the accident, said police.
DPS Trooper Royce Korenek of the Highway Patrol Columbus office is investigating the accident. DPS Sgt. Gary Chandler of the Columbus office and the Colorado County Sheriff's Department assisted Korenek at the scene.
Copyright, 2002, Victoria Advocate
Record Number: 0F7651B96100F4FA
Bay City man killed in accident Loose Trailer
August 17, 2006
Author: JUDY TRIPLETT - Matagorda County Advocate
BAY CITY - A Bay City man was thrown from his pickup and killed Saturday when he lost control after the boat and trailer he was towing came unhitched, officials said.
Jeffery Gordon Boots, 39, and his passenger, Alfredo Rodriguez, 39, both of Bay City, were traveling north on Farm-to-Market Road 457 towing a 10-foot sailboat.
Boots looked down at his dash for a moment and swerved onto the shoulder to the right, according to the passenger's statement, said Department of Public Safety Trooper Juan Aguilera.
He overcorrected as he pulled his 1992 Chevrolet pickup back to the left, and it caused the sailboat to come unhitched and begin swaying.
As the trailer came loose, the tongue of the trailer gouged the roadway. The pickup's tires "dug into the pavement," and the truck flipped onto its right side and skidded into the ditch, Aguilera said.
The pickup landed in a pasture. Boots, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the pickup. The passenger, who was wearing a seatbelt, received only minor injuries.
The trailer ball on the pickup was smaller in diameter than the boat trailer hitch required, Aguilera said. Also, only one safety chain was attached, and the safety pin was not in place.
Justice of the Peace Joe Knight pronounced Boots dead at the scene at 5:20 p.m. He also ordered an autopsy be performed by the Galveston County Medical Examiners office, Aguilera said.
• Judy Triplett is a reporter for the Victoria Advocate. Contact her at 979-244-1330 or jtriplett@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
Copyright, (c) 2006, The Victoria Advocate
Record Number: 113A76C3F5AD2278
The Dallas Morning News
May 24, 1986
Bobette Riner; Mid-Cities Bureau of The News The Dallas Morning News (DAL)
A 45-year-old motorcycle patrol officer was killed Friday morning when a cargo trailer snapped loose from an oncoming pickup truck and hit him head-on, police said.
Dan C. Cordes, a 20-year police veteran, became the first Mansfield officer killed in the line of duty. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Harris Hospital-Methodist in Fort Worth, where he was taken by CareFlite helicopter shortly after the 10:15 a.m. incident on Broad Street near U.S. Highway 287.
Authorities conducted a manhunt Friday for the driver of the pickup truck, who fled the scene and abandoned the truck about a half-mile from the accident site.
Investigators were attempting to verify late Friday whether the man is an escapee from a prison near Kansas City, Mo., said Deputy Chief Marvin Ivy.
Cordes was westbound on his motorcycle on Broad Street when the pickup, a 1959 Chevrolet Apache, approached on the two-lane street and the trailer broke loose, striking the officer, police said.
Witnesses told police the pickup continued without stopping and turned south on U.S. 287. Police found the pickup on the shoulder of the highway.
Investigators said that although the incident appeared to be unintentional, the truck driver made no effort to stop afterward.
Police said they were preparing an arrest warrant for the man for failure to stop and render aid. He apparently had used the trailer to help a woman move to a Mansfield apartment complex this week. A similar warrant was being prepared against the woman, who owns the truck, police said.
The Dallas and Fort Worth police helicopters were enlisted to help authorities from Arlington, Crowley, Tarrant County and Johnson County search nearby open fields where the driver apparently escaped on foot.
As officers from Mansfield's 19-member police force searched for the man, some took time to comfort Cordes' family and remember their colleague.
Cordes, Mansfield's first and only full-time motorcycle officer, was appreciated for his friendly nature and sense of humor, friends and colleagues said.
"Even if he wrote you a ticket, you'd walk away liking him,' said patrol Sgt. D.W. Simon.
"You won't find anybody in this town who would say anything bad about him -- even before he died,' Ivy said. "In my six years here, we never got a complaint against Officer Cordes.'
Several officers visited Cordes' home Friday to comfort his widow, Linda, and children Cindy, 18, and Todd, 14.
One officer, P. Pierce, who stayed with the family, said Cordes saw her through what could have been a difficult situation -- being the department's first female police officer.
"He taught me what being a good police officer is all about,' she said. "He was my partner, my friend, my inspiration -- and like a father to me.'
Officer Pierce said Cordes loved motorcycles so much that he moonlighted as a funeral escort "every chance he could.' He also taught her how to ride a motorcycle.
"That man was poetry in motion. No one could ride a motorcycle like him,' she said. "Whatever I do, Dan's always going to be with me. He's going to survive in the minds and hearts of everyone.'
Copyright 1986 The Dallas Morning News Company
Record Number: DAL230964
Accident on Loop 250 Leaves Behind a Big Mess
Staff Report
NewsWest 9
MIDLAND - Traffic slowed to a crawl on Tuesday morning in Midland after a crash including an 18-wheeler and a trailer.
Police say a white pick-up truck was pulling a trailer on Loop 250 when it went over the overpass near the north "A" Street exit.
A bump in the road caused the trailer to come unhitched and run across the median and hit the semi truck.
The wreck shut down one lane of traffic in each direction.
Luckily, no one was hurt.
Off-duty officer injured in accident By A Loose Trailer
Dallas Morning News, The (TX)
September 13, 1998
DALLAS - An off-duty Dallas police officer is in stable condition on Saturday after his car struck a loose trailer on eastbound Interstate 20, authorities said.
Saul Sarmiento, a southwest division officer, was driving to work at about 3:45 p.m. when a trailer disconnected from another car and struck his vehicle, police said.
Officer Sarmiento was taken to Methodist Medical Center, where he remained Saturday night. His injuries were not life-threatening, said Dallas police Sgt. Jim Chandler.
Both the Dallas and Grand Prairie police departments responded to the accident, which happened just east of Grand Prairie city limits.
No arrests were made in the accident, and police said they were not sure if weather played any role in the wreck.
Copyright 1998 Arlington Morning News
Record Number: 1048926
2 killed in crash; 3rd hurt Trailer hits students' SUV after coming loose, crossing I-30 median
Dallas Morning News, The (TX)
August 8, 2006
IAN McCANN; Staff Writer
Two Texas A&M University-Commerce students were killed and one was injured over the weekend when their SUV was hit by a trailer that came loose from a truck and crossed the Interstate 30 median just east of Royse City.
The women were returning to campus after a tubing trip, said university Police Chief Donna Spinato.
The survivor, identified as Rachel Ashley Bates, 18, of Commerce, was released Monday from Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, authorities said.
Flags at the university will fly at half-staff today in memory of Britney Lipsey, 20, of Celeste, in northern Hunt County, and Rachel Rollings, 22, of Coffeyville, Kan. Some were members of the Chi Omega sorority.
Chief Spinato said that the three were well-known at the school and that Ms. Rollings was a lifeguard at the university's recreation center.
"They were all very sweet girls," she said. "The university is saddened by the untimely deaths."
Ms. Lipsey's stepfather, Johnny Morrow, said he was struggling with his daughter's death in such a freak accident. He said Ms. Lipsey was a popular, athletic student at Celeste High School and was looking forward to a career in physical therapy.
"She played basketball, golf, was a cheerleader and homecoming queen," Mr. Morrow said. At the Commerce University, Ms. Lipsey was on the dean's list and was named a "dream girl" for the Phi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
Though she was outgoing and independent, Ms. Lipsey still made time to call home every day.
"We had no issues. Zero. We did everything together," Mr. Morrow said.
He said Ms. Rollings was an exceptional young woman who was close friends with Ms. Lipsey and often visited Ms. Lipsey's home, about 30 minutes from campus.
Ms. Rollings' family could not be reached Monday.
Royse City police said the trailer, carrying a car, came loose from a westbound truck and crossed the median about 2 p.m., hitting the SUV carrying the women.
The SUV rolled and came to a stop on its roof on the right side of the highway between FM35 and FM2642.
Staff writer Holly Yan contributed to this report.
E-mail imccann@dallasnews.com
Copyright 2006 The Dallas Morning News
Record Number: 1180475533
Runaway trailer pins, kills two children in Plainview
Houston Chronicle
SEPTEMBER 1, 1991
PLAINVIEW, TX (AP) - A young brother and sister were killed Saturday when a farm trailer broke loose from a truck and pinned them against another trailer in their aunt's front yard, officials said.
Aurelio Solorzano Jr., 6, and Jennifer Marie Solorzano, 2, were sitting in the front yard when the flatbed trailer hit them, said Yolanda Rodriguez, a neighbor who arrived soon after the accident.
The children were pinned between the runaway flatbed and a trailer hitched to a car in the yard, Rodriguez said. Hale County Justice of the Peace Shirley Groce declared the children dead on arrival at Central Plains Regional Hospital.
The pickup truck, driven by a 26-year-old man, had been pulling two trailers when the second one broke loose and traveled about 200 feet before hitting the children.
Officials, who did not release the name of the driver of the pickup, said Saturday no charges had been filed in connection with the accident.
Plainview is about 50 miles north of Lubbock in West Texas.
Copyright 1991 Houston Chronicle
Record Number: 09*01*807092
Lack of Safety Chains... Loose Trailer Kills Wife
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
July 21, 1991
O.K. Carter; Star-Telegram Writer
Not everyone making the lobby circuit in Austin during the current legislative session has some special interest ax to grind for a multi-billion dollar corporation.
Consider Bob Rankin, a data processing executive from Arlington who invested his vacation time sitting in capitol building legislative offices in the hope that he might be able to save a few lives over the next few years.
Rankin was the husband of Sheri Rankin, killed in Arlington May 10 when a trailer came loose from a towing vehicle and struck her car in opposite-bound traffic. Police estimated that she was driving only 35 mph at the time, and she was wearing a seatbelt. Even so, her small car was no match for a trailer load of steel beams.
"Incredibly, the trailer didn't have safety chains attached to the vehicle," said Rankin, who since then has discovered that Texas is one of only eight states that don't require safety chains.
He's made it a personal agenda-lobbying item since, even attempting to get an audience with Gov. Ann Richards to place the issue on the special session docket.
He's unlikely to succeed this time around, but Arlington's legislative delegation - particularly Rep. Kim Brimer - is likely to support his efforts in the future.
Though no statistics are available on runaway trailer accidents, such incidents are more common than might be expected. Not too long ago a Mansfield police officer was also killed by a runaway trailer.
Patriotic debit: Insurance executive Pete Morris took it on himself to be the official provider of Arlington July 4 festivities apparel - t-shirts, hats and the like - and he sold a lot of the stuff, with kick-ins to the 4th of July Committee.
It's not too late for a swell Independence Day 1991 Arlington t-shirt or Frisbee - maybe even with a big discount. Morris is open to negotiation at 274-5535.
Friendly help: Arlington Charities ran out of cash long before it ran out of needs at its new Secretary Street office.
But they found a host of rescuers - from Tom Foster some general construction work, Rocky Walton wrote a check for overhead fans, Hugh Ross provided the outside sign, Elton Smith the pantry shelving, Sodd Electric some needed electric work and Wayne Clark the phone system installation.
"It seemed like every time we needed help, a small miracle happened to see us through," said volunteer Evelyn Coles. "People helped us at every turn and didn't ask for a single bit of credit."
Indeed, Arlington Charities probably wouldn't be able to continue functioning as well as it does without a host of volunteers - people like Nancy Smith, Dr. John Decker, Dr. Harold Berman, John Davis, Bob Essler and P.T. Putnman to name a few.
A bigger miracle: Outgoing Arlington Cares chairman Melissa Saltamachio officially signed off her year at the helm by signing a couple of big checks - $20,000 to the Arlington Multiple Sclerosis Association chapter and a larger than expected $24,100 check to the local John Peter Smith Clinic.
The $44,100 total was a new Arlington Cares record - one that new chairwoman Anita Gatchel plans to eclipse next spring.
"We're shooting for a $50,000 donation," Gatchel said.
Arlington Cares selects a different charity every year, a process taking place this month and next.
Gatchel hopes to expand earnings by expanding the Arlington Cares weekend - it includes a gala, 10-K run, tennis tournament and golf tournament - to Arlington Cares Week, spreading and expanding participation over several days.
O.K. Carter's column appears here every Sunday, and in the Arlington section of the Star-Telegram on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Copyright 1991, 1994 STAR-TELEGRAM INC.
Record Number: FWST36378
Trailer breaks loose from pickup, injuring 2 women on Interstate 20
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
November 21, 1998
Author: Toya Stewart; Star-Telegram Writer
ARLINGTON, TX - Two women were injured when a trailer attached to a pickup broke loose along Interstate 20 during rush hour early yesterday and collided with their car, Arlington police said.
The wreck occurred at 7:32 a.m. on Interstate 20 between Matlock Road and Collins Street.
The women, ages 28 and 45, were treated and released, a Harris Methodist Fort Worth spokeswoman said.
The trailer, carrying a drum of yellow paint and a compressor, crossed the median going east and struck the westbound 1992 4-door Plymouth Acclaim, police said. The wreck spilled paint across the westbound lanes of the highway.
The driver of the pickup was issued citations for not having evidence of insurance, registration or an inspection sticker, as well as not having safety chains attached to the trailer.
Police said they were unable to determine the speed of the traffic or the speed of the trailer after it detached from the pickup.
Yellow paint covered the highway for approximately two hours until sand was put down to absorb it, police said.
Within 30 minutes two lanes along the highway had opened, and the remaining two were open by 9:30 a.m. "It was a mess, but we got out of this one really lucky," said Arlington police officer Jess Minton. "That time of morning, the traffic is much heavier going toward Dallas."
Robert Tharp contributed to this report.
Toya Stewart, (817) 548-5521 toyastewart@star-telegram.com
Copyright 1998 Star-Telegram, Inc.
Record Number: 571672
Trailer with trees breaks loose, hits car on N. I-35W
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX)
April 20, 2001
FORT WORTH - A horse trailer carrying peach trees came unhitched from a northbound pickup on Interstate 35W near the Basswood Boulevard exit Thursday night, rolling across the median and hitting a southbound Toyota head-on.
A white extended-cab truck in the southbound lane then hit the right front passenger side of the Toyota, police Sgt. Anne Cummings said.
The driver of the Toyota was taken to Harris Methodist Fort Worth hospital. Judging by the damage to the car, he was probably in "extremely critical" condition, Cummings said. His name was not released Thursday night.
The pickup and Toyota were in the 7400 block of the North Freeway when the trailer came loose from the pickup about 4:30 p.m., Cummings said.
The family in the pickup and the driver of the extended-cab truck were not injured.
Southbound traffic was reduced to one lane, delaying travel for several hours
Runaway trailer injures woman, three children
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
May 1, 1998
Author: Brian D. Crecente; Star-Telegram Writer
ARLINGTON, TX - A woman and three children were injured yesterday when the van they were in was hit by a runaway trailer.
Van driver Rhonda Gerrity was taken to Harris Methodist Fort Worth, where she was listed in serious but stable condition last night.
Andrew Gerrity, 4, was taken to Cook Children's Hospital, where he was listed in good condition.
An 8-year-old passenger, whose name was not released, was taken to Arlington Memorial Hospital, where he was listed in good condition.
Rachel Finley, 15, was taken to Harris Methodist Fort Worth, where she was listed in good condition.
The accident occurred about 4 p.m. when a trailer, made from the bed of a pickup, broke loose from a Jeep Wagoneer at the top of a hill on Park Row Drive, accident investigator Dan Whittington said.
The trailer hitch popped off the Jeep, and a single safety chain being used to secure it broke loose, he said.
The eastbound trailer, loaded with about 700 pounds of car parts, rolled down the hill, crossed the median and hit a westbound Ford Aerostar on the left side of the front bumper, he said. The trailer bounced over the bumper, rolled onto the hood of the van and into the windshield, he said. The impact knocked the van back across the two lanes and into a nearby front yard.
Logan Haghighi, who was driving the Jeep, said he heard "trailer noises" shortly after turning onto Park Row Drive near the top of the hill.
"I was coming down the hill and I felt the trailer hitting the back of the truck, so I slammed on my brakes," he said. "The trailer started moving side to side and broke the chain."
Haghighi said he tried to use the Jeep to stop the trailer but was unsuccessful.
Finley was in one of the back seats of the van when the accident happened, she said.
"We were just driving and the trailer came through the windshield and my sister started screaming, `I can't feel my legs,' " she said.
"We saw the trailer coming and swerved, but it swerved with us."
Finley said she pulled her 2-year-old niece and an 8-year-old family friend from the van and tried to get help for her sister, who was trapped behind the steering wheel.
After the accident, Finley stood in the yard with her arms crossed, watching firefighters use hydraulic cutters to free her sister from the van.
Caption:
PHOTO(S): Bruce Maxwell
Copyright 1998 Star-Telegram, Inc.
Record Number: 525798
Trailer fatally injures man on South Wayside
Houston Chronicle
May 23, 2002
Author: From staff and wire reports
A trailer that came disengaged from a vehicle in east Houston veered onto a sidewalk and pinned a man against a dirt embankment, fatally injuring him.
Reynaldo Antonio Benitez, 39, of the 800 block of Fair Oaks died at Ben Taub Hospital.
An improperly secured trailer broke loose when the car pulling it hit a bump in the 400 block of South Wayside on Tuesday, police said.
They said charges were pending against the 54-year-old man towing the trailer.
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
Record Number: 3547773
Youth killed when trailer breaks from truck
Houston Chronicle
September 2, 1986
Author: Staff
ARCOLA - A 13-year-old Houston youth was killed and four people were injured when a homemade horse trailer broke away from a pickup truck, striking the vehicle in which they were riding.
Michael Carl Douglas of 4322 Marchant was pronounced dead at 4:40 p.m. Sunday on FM 521, a half-mile south of Texas 6. Listed in serious condition in Fort Bend Community Hospital are Robert C. White, 32, an accounting officer of 4326 Marchant in Houston, who was driving the 1974 GMC vehicle; Robert Tremaine, 10; and Marcus White, 4, both of the same Houston address.
One of the driver's sons, Joshua White, 5, was in pediatric intensive care at Hermann Hospital.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the horse trailer broke loose from a pickup truck after it crossed a railroad track on FM 521. The trailer then crossed into the northbound lane, colliding with White's vehicle.
The driver of the pickup pulling the trailer was not injured, DPS reports said.
Copyright 1986 Houston Chronicle
Record Number: HSC0902263680
School bus driver killed, 4 kids hurt Loose Trailer
Houston Chronicle
May 20, 2000
DERWOOD, Md. (AP) - A trailer carrying a tractor broke loose from a farm truck and crashed into a school bus Friday, killing the bus driver and injuring four children, police said.
Three children were airlifted by helicopter to Children's Hospital in Washington and another child was taken away by ambulance.
A spokesman for Children's Hospital said a 5-year-old girl was listed in critical condition and a 5-year-old girl and 11-year-old girl were in serious condition. The condition of the fourth injured child was not immediately known.
The rest of about 30 children going home were transported to another hospital to be checked for minor injuries and reunited with their parents.
The driver of a farm truck carrying a tractor on a trailer lost control. The trailer separated from the truck and crashed into the front of the school bus. The farm truck driver was also sent to a hospital with minor injuries.
Derwood is near Rockville, about 20 miles north of downtown Washington.
Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle
Record Number: 3215908
Loose trailer kills man, 76
Abilene Reporter-News (TX)
August 5, 2005
A Breckenridge man was killed Thursday when a trailer became unhooked from a pickup truck and slammed into his car, Department of Public Safety Trooper Richard Atkinson said.
James Brown, 76, had just turned west into his private drive off of FM 2231 in Stephens County when the trailer came loose and struck his car in the rear passenger door.
Brown suffered a head injury and was pronounced dead at the scene.
His wife, Rebecca Brown, 76, was a passenger in the vehicle and was taken to Stephens Memorial Hospital in Breckenridge for treatment of lacerations and bruises.
The driver of the truck was Jason Kirkland, 32, of Lubbock.
No charges have been filed, and Aktinson said the accident is still under investigation.
The Stephens County Sheriff's Office, EMS, DPS and the Breckenridge Fire Department responded to the accident.
-Blanca Cantu
Copyright (c) 2005 Abilene Reporter-News
Record Number: 0805 NW LC kill
Sisters killed in crash by a loose trailer
Houston Chronicle
March 10, 1997
Author: Staff
Two young daughters of a Conroe couple died when their Suburban collided with a trailer that had broken loose from a pickup, officials said Sunday.
Holly Snell, 7, was killed instantly and her sister, Heather, 9, was pronounced dead shortly after the 5 p.m. Saturday accident in south Montgomery County.
Robert Snell, 33, and, his wife, Terry, and two other daughters, Ashley and Amber, were taken to local hospitals where they were treated for cuts and bruises, officials said.
The accident occurred near the intersection of Sleepy Hollow and Running Deer roads when the trailer became disengaged from the pickup and collided with the Chevrolet Suburban being driven by Robert Snell, Texas Department of Public Safety records indicate.
The Suburban then smashed into a ditch, landing on its side, the accident report said.
No charges had been filed Sunday against the driver of the pickup.
Everyone in the Snell's vehicle was wearing a safety belt at the time of the accident, the report said
Copyright 1997 Houston Chronicle
Record Number: HSC03101399482
Rock Island man killed in accident Loose Trailer
Victoria Advocate, The (TX)
March 23, 2002
EAGLE LAKE -- A Rock Island resident was killed when a trailer hit his pickup on U.S. Highway 90 A approximately 4.9 miles west of Eagle Lake Thursday evening.
William Burton Arrison, 42, of Rock Island, was declared dead at 8:51 p.m. at the scene of the wreck. According to a Department of Public Safety report, a homemade flatbed utility trailer separated from a pickup traveling east on the highway and hit Arrison's 1999 Chevrolet pickup, which was moving west. Arrison was ejected from his truck, which rolled over on him, police said.
The trailer was being pulled by a 1997 Chevrolet pickup being driven by Doyle L. Noska, 55, of Columbus, police said. The police report states that the trailer came loose, crossed the centerline of the roadway and struck Arrison's truck.
The load on the trailer then hit a 1993 Buick being driven by Wanda F. Zbranek, 69, of Sheridan, which was traveling behind Arrison.
Arrison was declared dead at the scene of the accident by Justice of the Peace Larry L. Dulany of Colorado County. Zbranek and Noska were not injured in the accident, said police.
DPS Trooper Royce Korenek of the Highway Patrol Columbus office is investigating the accident. DPS Sgt. Gary Chandler of the Columbus office and the Colorado County Sheriff's Department assisted Korenek at the scene.
Copyright, 2002, Victoria Advocate
Record Number: 0F7651B96100F4FA
Bay City man killed in accident Loose Trailer
August 17, 2006
Author: JUDY TRIPLETT - Matagorda County Advocate
BAY CITY - A Bay City man was thrown from his pickup and killed Saturday when he lost control after the boat and trailer he was towing came unhitched, officials said.
Jeffery Gordon Boots, 39, and his passenger, Alfredo Rodriguez, 39, both of Bay City, were traveling north on Farm-to-Market Road 457 towing a 10-foot sailboat.
Boots looked down at his dash for a moment and swerved onto the shoulder to the right, according to the passenger's statement, said Department of Public Safety Trooper Juan Aguilera.
He overcorrected as he pulled his 1992 Chevrolet pickup back to the left, and it caused the sailboat to come unhitched and begin swaying.
As the trailer came loose, the tongue of the trailer gouged the roadway. The pickup's tires "dug into the pavement," and the truck flipped onto its right side and skidded into the ditch, Aguilera said.
The pickup landed in a pasture. Boots, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the pickup. The passenger, who was wearing a seatbelt, received only minor injuries.
The trailer ball on the pickup was smaller in diameter than the boat trailer hitch required, Aguilera said. Also, only one safety chain was attached, and the safety pin was not in place.
Justice of the Peace Joe Knight pronounced Boots dead at the scene at 5:20 p.m. He also ordered an autopsy be performed by the Galveston County Medical Examiners office, Aguilera said.
• Judy Triplett is a reporter for the Victoria Advocate. Contact her at 979-244-1330 or jtriplett@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
Copyright, (c) 2006, The Victoria Advocate
Record Number: 113A76C3F5AD2278
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Safety Sentry: Our Story
Safety Sentry is a safety trailer hitch lock system designed to prevent trailer detachment in any form whether it be by theft or accident while driving. Safety Sentry inc. is a premier supplier of the new Safety Sentry hitch lock that is currently required in some states due to state-mandated trailer hitch laws. Safety Sentry provides trailer lock safety for all types of towing hitches used for towing trailers on state and local highways. They specialize in safeguarding against accidents through the Safety Sentry Hitch Lock. This trailer lock works on horse trailers, camping trailers, used trailers, RV trailers, cargo trailers and more.
Safety Sentry was founded in 2009, but owner Karl Pratt invented the product back in the summer of 1994. Mr. Pratt had owned a manufacturing company for quite some time and had experience in metal, machining and applications. He created a product that would provide security while a truck and trailer was left unattended. It wasn’t until much later, after coming across www.dangeroustrailers.org, that he realized that his product could also be used to prevent trailer detachment while driving (a problem that is widespread, but little known). After several modifications, and a U.S. patent, he had a product that would have a dual purpose, safety while in transport, and security when it was parked.
With the help of the Dangerous Trailers website, Mr. Pratt did some research on the facts about accidents due to disengagement of trailers, the injuries and fatalities as a result, and the number of reported thefts. What he found was shocking.
The Department of Transportation, or Federal Highway Administration, published a report in 1994 detailing the statistics of trailer-related accidents. With a cost of fatality per incident of $2,600,000; United States statistics shows that for the previous 30 years the cost involving fatalities directly related from trailers towed by passenger vehicles to be $39,554,060,000. Using the lowest cost of injury ($5000) with 461,726 incidents reported from 1988 to 1994 totals $2,308,630,000. Using the lowest cost of property damage ($2000) with 814,165 incidents during the same period totals 1,628,300,000. Keep in mind that this report was published in 1994; if you factor in inflation and another 16 years the numbers are much, much higher.
This is where Safety Sentry can help. Safety Sentry, Inc. is working with Departments of Transportation in many states to push for legislation for state-mandated trailer hitch safety laws to prevent these kinds of accidents on our nation’s highways. This product does not require any modification of towing vehicle or coupler. It will work on most horse trailers, camping trailers, used trailers, RV trailers, cargo trailers and more. While most couplers already have a locking point built in, all a criminal would have to do is remove the nut that keeps the ball of the coupler in place to steal your trailer. The Safety Sentry trailer hitch lock includes a locking nut to prevent theft in this way.
So if you pull a trailer, please contact Safety Sentry to purchase your Safety Sentry trailer lock, today! Safety Sentry works on all standard trailers including horse trailers, camping trailers, used trailers, RV trailers, cargo trailers and more. The Texas Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Safety, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are aware of the potential for saving lives and protecting property on the highways through the use of the Safety Sentry. Efforts are underway to elicit vehicle insurance reductions if safety trailer hitch lock is used for trailer safety. Several states already have state-mandated trailer hitch safety laws, and many more are currently working on them.
Save the lives of people and animals and protect your property with the complete safety and security package in Safety Sentry. This safety trailer hitch lock is an affordable safety product that is made in the USA, helping to provide employment opportunities during this time of economic uncertainty. You work hard to provide for your family and to protect the things you acquire. Think of Safety Sentry as added insurance for life and property, for you and everyone with whom you share the road.
Safety Sentry was founded in 2009, but owner Karl Pratt invented the product back in the summer of 1994. Mr. Pratt had owned a manufacturing company for quite some time and had experience in metal, machining and applications. He created a product that would provide security while a truck and trailer was left unattended. It wasn’t until much later, after coming across www.dangeroustrailers.org, that he realized that his product could also be used to prevent trailer detachment while driving (a problem that is widespread, but little known). After several modifications, and a U.S. patent, he had a product that would have a dual purpose, safety while in transport, and security when it was parked.
With the help of the Dangerous Trailers website, Mr. Pratt did some research on the facts about accidents due to disengagement of trailers, the injuries and fatalities as a result, and the number of reported thefts. What he found was shocking.
The Department of Transportation, or Federal Highway Administration, published a report in 1994 detailing the statistics of trailer-related accidents. With a cost of fatality per incident of $2,600,000; United States statistics shows that for the previous 30 years the cost involving fatalities directly related from trailers towed by passenger vehicles to be $39,554,060,000. Using the lowest cost of injury ($5000) with 461,726 incidents reported from 1988 to 1994 totals $2,308,630,000. Using the lowest cost of property damage ($2000) with 814,165 incidents during the same period totals 1,628,300,000. Keep in mind that this report was published in 1994; if you factor in inflation and another 16 years the numbers are much, much higher.
This is where Safety Sentry can help. Safety Sentry, Inc. is working with Departments of Transportation in many states to push for legislation for state-mandated trailer hitch safety laws to prevent these kinds of accidents on our nation’s highways. This product does not require any modification of towing vehicle or coupler. It will work on most horse trailers, camping trailers, used trailers, RV trailers, cargo trailers and more. While most couplers already have a locking point built in, all a criminal would have to do is remove the nut that keeps the ball of the coupler in place to steal your trailer. The Safety Sentry trailer hitch lock includes a locking nut to prevent theft in this way.
So if you pull a trailer, please contact Safety Sentry to purchase your Safety Sentry trailer lock, today! Safety Sentry works on all standard trailers including horse trailers, camping trailers, used trailers, RV trailers, cargo trailers and more. The Texas Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Safety, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are aware of the potential for saving lives and protecting property on the highways through the use of the Safety Sentry. Efforts are underway to elicit vehicle insurance reductions if safety trailer hitch lock is used for trailer safety. Several states already have state-mandated trailer hitch safety laws, and many more are currently working on them.
Save the lives of people and animals and protect your property with the complete safety and security package in Safety Sentry. This safety trailer hitch lock is an affordable safety product that is made in the USA, helping to provide employment opportunities during this time of economic uncertainty. You work hard to provide for your family and to protect the things you acquire. Think of Safety Sentry as added insurance for life and property, for you and everyone with whom you share the road.
Safety While Towing
I am Karl Pratt, Owner/Inventor of Safety Sentry Inc. We are on a mission to protect persons and property on our highways. I created a product that will not allow disengagement while passenger vehicles tow trailers. It is a very simple device that also doubles as a Security Device while your Tow Vehicle and Trailer are Connected and left unattended for extended periods of time. We, in mid January, are adding an additional product for Goose neck hitches. However, at this time we have products for bumper mount and receivers of all sizes. From the smallest of utility trailers to the largest of receiver hitches for commercial users. For more information go to our website www.safetysentryinc.com. For additional information on trailer accidents and how widespread this problem has become, go to www.dangeroustrailers.org.
Safety Sentry Inc. has made a very strong stand and got the attention of many members of Department of Transportation and Department of Public Safety and many State Offices. Currently we are working with Insurance companies trying to get discounts if you pull trailers to make the cost of our product a minimal out of pocket expense. At present for less than ONE HUNDRED dollars (very inexpensive one time insurance)we feel that our product will eliminate disengagements. We have found in most cases detachment of hitch and ball is on of the leading causes of these accidents. Either wrong ball size to coupler or latches not secure or becoming unsecured in transit. Many people say that they have a lock on their coupler and this is true but underneath the latch is a single nut that can work itself loose since it is spring loaded.
My email address is Karl@safetysentryinc.com. Just contact me and I will personally get my product to you. We have expanded in the last year to many states throughout the USA but still have a way to go. If you are interested in helping our mission please contact me. We do have distributor positions available. In addition our products are American Made.
Thanks,
Karl Pratt
Owner/Inventor
Safety Sentry Inc.
Safety Sentry Inc. has made a very strong stand and got the attention of many members of Department of Transportation and Department of Public Safety and many State Offices. Currently we are working with Insurance companies trying to get discounts if you pull trailers to make the cost of our product a minimal out of pocket expense. At present for less than ONE HUNDRED dollars (very inexpensive one time insurance)we feel that our product will eliminate disengagements. We have found in most cases detachment of hitch and ball is on of the leading causes of these accidents. Either wrong ball size to coupler or latches not secure or becoming unsecured in transit. Many people say that they have a lock on their coupler and this is true but underneath the latch is a single nut that can work itself loose since it is spring loaded.
My email address is Karl@safetysentryinc.com. Just contact me and I will personally get my product to you. We have expanded in the last year to many states throughout the USA but still have a way to go. If you are interested in helping our mission please contact me. We do have distributor positions available. In addition our products are American Made.
Thanks,
Karl Pratt
Owner/Inventor
Safety Sentry Inc.
WODEN, TX (The Daily Sentinel) 24 November 2009 - A woman died after her truck was pushed off the road by the trailer she was towing Tuesday morning, causing the vehicle to collide with a tree, according to a report filed by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Tracy Lynn Dailey, 37, of Bronson, was northbound on FM 226 1.4 miles south of Woden at about 10:15 a.m. when the trailer she was pulling came off the towing ball of the truck and pushed against the bumper, according to DPS Trooper Keith Jones.
"The horse trailer tongue was locked and the pin was through it, but it was never on the ball," Jones, who investigated the wreck, said. "It was sitting on top of the ball, and safety chains were hooked. The breakaway device was hooked up, but the tongue eventually slipped off the ball, and as she was pulling it down the road, the trailer was pushing her."
On the scene, the truck had to be pulled away from a tree about 10 feet off the roadway where it had come to a halt and had lodged against the driver side door. Nacogdoches Fire Department responded to the scene with the Jaws of Life that were used to pry off the door that had become mangled by the impact.
Dailey was trapped in the vehicle for almost half an hour while crews worked to free her from the cab of the truck.
Dailey was taken to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead by Dr. Eulogio Ouano Bonsukan at 11:39 a.m., according to the reports. The report stated that her seatbelt was worn at the time of the accident and that Wyman Roberts in San Augustine will be in charge of funeral arrangements.
Keith Lansdale's e-mail address is klansdale@dailysentinel.com"
I am truly sorry for the family and I only hope that in the not so near future that we can get a safety device legislation in our country to prevent some of the needless fatalities. I personally take these accidents to heart and hope and pray we can do something more. If you want to help with our mission, please contact me:
karl@safetysentryinc.com
Safety Sentry Inc.
Karl Pratt
Owner/Inventor
Tracy Lynn Dailey, 37, of Bronson, was northbound on FM 226 1.4 miles south of Woden at about 10:15 a.m. when the trailer she was pulling came off the towing ball of the truck and pushed against the bumper, according to DPS Trooper Keith Jones.
"The horse trailer tongue was locked and the pin was through it, but it was never on the ball," Jones, who investigated the wreck, said. "It was sitting on top of the ball, and safety chains were hooked. The breakaway device was hooked up, but the tongue eventually slipped off the ball, and as she was pulling it down the road, the trailer was pushing her."
On the scene, the truck had to be pulled away from a tree about 10 feet off the roadway where it had come to a halt and had lodged against the driver side door. Nacogdoches Fire Department responded to the scene with the Jaws of Life that were used to pry off the door that had become mangled by the impact.
Dailey was trapped in the vehicle for almost half an hour while crews worked to free her from the cab of the truck.
Dailey was taken to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead by Dr. Eulogio Ouano Bonsukan at 11:39 a.m., according to the reports. The report stated that her seatbelt was worn at the time of the accident and that Wyman Roberts in San Augustine will be in charge of funeral arrangements.
Keith Lansdale's e-mail address is klansdale@dailysentinel.com"
I am truly sorry for the family and I only hope that in the not so near future that we can get a safety device legislation in our country to prevent some of the needless fatalities. I personally take these accidents to heart and hope and pray we can do something more. If you want to help with our mission, please contact me:
karl@safetysentryinc.com
Safety Sentry Inc.
Karl Pratt
Owner/Inventor
Safety Sentry: Our Story
Safety Sentry is a safety trailer hitch lock system designed to prevent trailer detachment in any form whether it be by theft or accident while driving. Safety Sentry inc. is a premier supplier of the new Safety Sentry hitch lock that is currently required in some states due to state-mandated trailer hitch laws. Safety Sentry provides trailer lock safety for all types of towing hitches used for towing trailers on state and local highways. They specialize in safeguarding against accidents through the Safety Sentry Hitch Lock. This trailer lock works on horse trailers, camping trailers, used trailers, RV trailers, cargo trailers and more.
Safety Sentry was founded in 2009, but owner Karl Pratt invented the product back in the summer of 1994. Mr. Pratt had owned a manufacturing company for quite some time and had experience in metal, machining and applications. He created a product that would provide security while a truck and trailer was left unattended. It wasn’t until much later, after coming across www.dangeroustrailers.org, that he realized that his product could also be used to prevent trailer detachment while driving (a problem that is widespread, but little known). After several modifications, and a U.S. patent, he had a product that would have a dual purpose, safety while in transport, and security when it was parked.
With the help of the Dangerous Trailers website, Mr. Pratt did some research on the facts about accidents due to disengagement of trailers, the injuries and fatalities as a result, and the number of reported thefts. What he found was shocking.
The Department of Transportation, or Federal Highway Administration, published a report in 1994 detailing the statistics of trailer-related accidents. With a cost of fatality per incident of $2,600,000; United States statistics shows that for the previous 30 years the cost involving fatalities directly related from trailers towed by passenger vehicles to be $39,554,060,000. Using the lowest cost of injury ($5000) with 461,726 incidents reported from 1988 to 1994 totals $2,308,630,000. Using the lowest cost of property damage ($2000) with 814,165 incidents during the same period totals 1,628,300,000. Keep in mind that this report was published in 1994; if you factor in inflation and another 16 years the numbers are much, much higher.
This is where Safety Sentry can help. Safety Sentry, Inc. is working with Departments of Transportation in many states to push for legislation for state-mandated trailer hitch safety laws to prevent these kinds of accidents on our nation’s highways. This product does not require any modification of towing vehicle or coupler. It will work on most horse trailers, camping trailers, used trailers, RV trailers, cargo trailers and more. While most couplers already have a locking point built in, all a criminal would have to do is remove the nut that keeps the ball of the coupler in place to steal your trailer. The Safety Sentry trailer hitch lock includes a locking nut to prevent theft in this way.
So if you pull a trailer, please contact Safety Sentry to purchase your Safety Sentry trailer lock, today! Safety Sentry works on all standard trailers including horse trailers, camping trailers, used trailers, RV trailers, cargo trailers and more. The Texas Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Safety, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are aware of the potential for saving lives and protecting property on the highways through the use of the Safety Sentry. Efforts are underway to elicit vehicle insurance reductions if safety trailer hitch lock is used for trailer safety. Several states already have state-mandated trailer hitch safety laws, and many more are currently working on them.
Save the lives of people and animals and protect your property with the complete safety and security package in Safety Sentry. This safety trailer hitch lock is an affordable safety product that is made in the USA, helping to provide employment opportunities during this time of economic uncertainty. You work hard to provide for your family and to protect the things you acquire. Think of Safety Sentry as added insurance for life and property, for you and everyone with whom you share the road.
Safety Sentry was founded in 2009, but owner Karl Pratt invented the product back in the summer of 1994. Mr. Pratt had owned a manufacturing company for quite some time and had experience in metal, machining and applications. He created a product that would provide security while a truck and trailer was left unattended. It wasn’t until much later, after coming across www.dangeroustrailers.org, that he realized that his product could also be used to prevent trailer detachment while driving (a problem that is widespread, but little known). After several modifications, and a U.S. patent, he had a product that would have a dual purpose, safety while in transport, and security when it was parked.
With the help of the Dangerous Trailers website, Mr. Pratt did some research on the facts about accidents due to disengagement of trailers, the injuries and fatalities as a result, and the number of reported thefts. What he found was shocking.
The Department of Transportation, or Federal Highway Administration, published a report in 1994 detailing the statistics of trailer-related accidents. With a cost of fatality per incident of $2,600,000; United States statistics shows that for the previous 30 years the cost involving fatalities directly related from trailers towed by passenger vehicles to be $39,554,060,000. Using the lowest cost of injury ($5000) with 461,726 incidents reported from 1988 to 1994 totals $2,308,630,000. Using the lowest cost of property damage ($2000) with 814,165 incidents during the same period totals 1,628,300,000. Keep in mind that this report was published in 1994; if you factor in inflation and another 16 years the numbers are much, much higher.
This is where Safety Sentry can help. Safety Sentry, Inc. is working with Departments of Transportation in many states to push for legislation for state-mandated trailer hitch safety laws to prevent these kinds of accidents on our nation’s highways. This product does not require any modification of towing vehicle or coupler. It will work on most horse trailers, camping trailers, used trailers, RV trailers, cargo trailers and more. While most couplers already have a locking point built in, all a criminal would have to do is remove the nut that keeps the ball of the coupler in place to steal your trailer. The Safety Sentry trailer hitch lock includes a locking nut to prevent theft in this way.
So if you pull a trailer, please contact Safety Sentry to purchase your Safety Sentry trailer lock, today! Safety Sentry works on all standard trailers including horse trailers, camping trailers, used trailers, RV trailers, cargo trailers and more. The Texas Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Safety, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are aware of the potential for saving lives and protecting property on the highways through the use of the Safety Sentry. Efforts are underway to elicit vehicle insurance reductions if safety trailer hitch lock is used for trailer safety. Several states already have state-mandated trailer hitch safety laws, and many more are currently working on them.
Save the lives of people and animals and protect your property with the complete safety and security package in Safety Sentry. This safety trailer hitch lock is an affordable safety product that is made in the USA, helping to provide employment opportunities during this time of economic uncertainty. You work hard to provide for your family and to protect the things you acquire. Think of Safety Sentry as added insurance for life and property, for you and everyone with whom you share the road.
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