Who:

Jennifer Miles, 33, from Baldwinsville, was killed around 1 PM on Thursday, 4/24/14, in Van Buren, NY, on I-690 when a tire from a boat trailer smashed into the windshield and crushed the roof of her 2014 Kia Sportage. Her 23-month-old son and 4-year-old nephew received cuts and scrapes. She was a teacher at a local school. The trailer was driven by Nevada West III, 62, from Liverpool.

How:

Miles was westbound, while West was eastbound. A tire came off West’s boat trailer, bounced across the median, and landed on the roof of Mile’s vehicle. Her children were safely secured in appropriate car seats. A witness saw the accident and called 911, but Miles likely died immediately. West’s trailer was unregistered and had not been inspected. He was ticketed for both violations afterward. West continued to drive after the tire fell off until he was alerted regarding the collision. It is unclear how Miles stopped the vehicle after the impact.

Why:

This is a tragic case that would have been very difficult for Miles to prevent. She was driving on her way when a boat trailer tire detached, bounced down the road, crossed the median, and impacted her windshield and roof, killing her. The roof in question for the 2013 Kia Sportage was rated as “good”, meaning it was rated to withstand 4x the weight of the vehicle before crushing 5 inches.

However, the impact appears to have occurred at the intersection of the windshield and roof, and windshields aren’t capable of absorbing those kinds of forces, regardless of roof ratings. I don’t believe there is another publicly available vehicle in the United States that would have fared better under these conditions; the kind of glass used in motor vehicles simply isn’t designed to stop that much energy.

Essentially, the only way to have prevented this collision would have been for West to have ensured his trailer was registered, inspected, and in working condition. His negligence to do so led to Miles’ death. There is nothing she could have done to have avoided this.

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