Claim: A pedestrian was killed by a flying fire hydrant.
TRUE
Origins: Loss of life through
While all traffic fatalities are tragedies to be grieved over, some happen in far more unusual fashion than others. Every now and then a vehicle-caused demise is so wildly at odds with what we expect of our world that it shakes the cobwebs from our heads as it serves to remind us that life can be lost in the blink of an eye and through no fault of anyone's.
On 21 June 2007, 24-year-old Humberto Hernandez was killed by a
The fire hydrant had been launched onto its deadly trajectory by a sport utility vehicle that crashed into it. The 2007 Ford Escape had blown a tire and swerved onto the sidewalk, striking the hydrant. Water pressure and the impact of the crash sent the fire plug flying like a "bullet," said Phil Abrams, an Alameda County deputy sheriff.
This was far from the first death caused by an object inadvertently launched by a vehicle, but it is somewhat unusual in that the victim wasn't in a car himself. Over
the years, numerous drivers and passengers have met the Grim Reaper via tires flying off passing vehicles, but other items have also ended lives.
On 28 December 2006, a ball-style trailer hitch killed 32-year-old Sean
Another death occurred in similar fashion on
Barbara "flapped jack" Mikkelson
Last updated: 7 August 2011
Sources: |
Harris, Harry. "Flying Hydrant Kills Man on Oakland Sidewalk." San Jose Mercury News. 22 June 2007. Repard, Pauline. "Trailer Hitch Hits Windshield, Killing Man." The San Diego Union-Tribune. 29 December 2006 (p. B2). Associated Press. "Fire Hydrant Dislodged After Car Crash Kills Oakland Man." 23 June 2007. The San Francisco Chronicle. "Freak Highway Accident Kills Car Passenger." 1 April 1995 (p. A20).