Had to go to Atlanta yesterday to deliver some rugs to our showroom because no one else could do it. I was driving a Ford 350 super-duty box van doing about 65 mph. On Hwy85 North coming over the second set of double bridges that go over Hartwell I blew the left rear tire. When it blew it grabbed the fuel filler and suck it all into the other tire that wasn't blown and locked it up. It sent me immediately left to wards the edge of the bridge. I whipped the steering wheel the other way and it was on. Only two wheels at this point and at least 50 yards of bridge to still get over. My life really did pass in front of me. As I knew I was going over the bridge and the 50ft drop into Hartwell. I ended up whipping it several times and was on two wheel more than once before I got it to a stop on the other side of the bridge. The tire had completely ripped the fuel filler hose off and Diesel was all over the road. The tire ripped a foot by foot hole in the bed of the van and sent wood all over the rugs inside.
I called Ryder and they sent someone out. While I waited I walked up to the Huddle house on Exit 14 and got some food. They picked me up a short time later. Got to see have someone changes a tire on a rim manually. Pretty cool. Ended up being the wrong size. SO we drove down to the shop and changed it again. All this started at 5 yesterday and I got home at 12.
God was on my side yesterday. Made me realize that there are a lot of things in life that are not as important than my wife and child. Plan on spending the day with them as yesterday could have been my last.
I called Ryder and they sent someone out. While I waited I walked up to the Huddle house on Exit 14 and got some food. They picked me up a short time later. Got to see have someone changes a tire on a rim manually. Pretty cool. Ended up being the wrong size. SO we drove down to the shop and changed it again. All this started at 5 yesterday and I got home at 12.
God was on my side yesterday. Made me realize that there are a lot of things in life that are not as important than my wife and child. Plan on spending the day with them as yesterday could have been my last.
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