RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Major crashes on the interstate can often be major news, but this story is about a crash that didn't happen. A dangerous situation may have been avoided, all thanks to the keen eyes of a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper.
"I’m looking for tires, making sure there’s no flat tires," said Trooper Declan Ryan, a Navy veteran who always wanted to join law enforcement. "I’m looking for the load to make sure there’s a proper amount of straps."
Ryan spends most of his shift along the side of interstates and highways, his eyes fixed on large commercial trucks as a part of THP's Motor Carrier Plus division.
"When they’re coming by 70-80 mph, it’s hard to pick up those violations sometimes. So you really have to build an eye for it," said Ryan.
On March 19, Trooper Ryan saw something so egregious, he thought his eyes were deceiving him. He noticed a big problem with the truck's tag axle.
"One side was up and the other side was down, and the side that was down was closest to me. And the tire was leaning outward, almost falling off in a very unnatural position. So that immediately caught my attention," said Ryan, who originally grew up in New York. "I instantly knew then, that’s not right."
After he pulled the truck over, he made a remarkable discovery. A single, four-inch-wide ratchet strap was barely holding the truck's axle upright. Trooper Ryan says the driver's explanation held up about as well as the driver's strap.
"The driver informed me, he noticed something break right before he saw me. Which he was alluding to that axle," said Ryan. "Unless you’re a magician, there’s no way to put a ratchet strap down while you’re driving on the interstate."
To Trooper Ryan, the real magic, or miracle, really, is that he was able to spot the issue before the unthinkable happened.
"Those axles, that probably weigh a thousand plus pounds, I imagine. That could have done a lot of damage to another vehicle, a person, a bridge," said Ryan.
I asked Ryan what his message to truck drivers would be about the responsibility that they need to have when they're on the interstate.
"Just think if your family was driving on the interstate and behind them is a vehicle that is unsafe and unworthy for the road. Would you want that vehicle to be out there? If the answer is no, then you probably shouldn’t drive that vehicle on the road," replied Ryan.
Ryan called the incident the "top 5 craziest things I've seen so far. "
According to a THP spokesperson, the truck was placed out of service immediately and wasn't allowed back on the road until proper repairs were made.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at chris.davis@newschannel5.com.
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