Pipe Flew Off Trailer on I-182 in Pasco and Through a Windshield

A blue Ford hatchback had its windshield shattered in the unmistakable shape of a two- to three-foot metal pipe after it came off a trailer on I-182 in Pasco and hit that car at highway speed.

The photo attached to Washington State Patrol District 3's post this week is one of those images that stops you cold, especially if you have had an incident like this before.

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The driver was okay and managed to bring the vehicle to a safe stop. That outcome is genuinely fortunate and not guaranteed when a metal object hits your windshield at freeway speed.

Windshield Shattered by Unsecured Load on I-182

A trailer traveling on I-182 in Pasco lost a metal pipe from its load at highway speed; that pipe became a projectile and hit the windshield of the blue Ford hatchback directly behind it. The impact left a clear imprint in the shattered glass showing exactly where the pipe made contact with the windshield.

The driver of the Ford was not seriously injured and came to a full safe stop. But a few inches of difference in trajectory and this is a completely different story.

This Accident was Entirely Preventable

Before shifting into drive, take the time to secure your load.

That is the entire solution. Straps, tie downs, netting, or tarps. A metal pipe sitting unsecured on a trailer is not cargo. It is a missile waiting for the right bump in the road.

This is not the first unsecured load story we have covered, and it will not be the last.

What the Driver of That Trailer Could Face

Under Washington state law, an unsecured load that causes property damage or injury falls under RCW 46.61.655 and Maria's Law. A standard unsecured load infraction runs $200 to $300.

When that load causes damage or injury, the charge escalates to a gross misdemeanor with fines up to $5,000 and potential jail time of up to one year.

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If the pipe had seriously injured the driver of that Ford, the charges would be significantly more severe.