WHITBY, Ont. (June 29, 2001) — Four years after the last reported wheel-off incident in Ontario, a Toronto man was killed yesterday when a set of dual wheels separated from a trailer hauled by American transport company on Hwy. 401 near Whitby, Ont.

Police say John Drysdale “had no chance” when the wheels hopped the centre median and struck the windshield of his minivan at about 100 km/h.

The trucking company, Smithway Motor Express of Dodge City, Iowa, and its driver have been charged with operating an unsafe vehicle and having a wheel separate, which carries a maximum fine of $50,000. Criminal charges are rarely laid in these circumstances because of the difficulty in proving “blatant disregard” for safety standards.

Ontario Provincial Police are investigating the specific cause of the accident. OPP Staff Sgt. Cam Wooley said the trailer was in generally poor condition, and likely would have been taken off the road if spotted by police prior to the accident.

Representatives of Smithway Motor Express refused to comment when contacted by Today’s Trucking earlier today.

The driver, Duane Sallo of Minnesota, was charged with failing to maintain a proper logbook and failing to conduct a proper pretrip inspection.

The trailer has been impounded and its plates have been removed. Wooley says someone from the trucking company will have to appear in court and abide by whatever the ruling is before the trailer is released. The trailer will also have to meet provincial safety standards before it can leave the impound lot.

“If the guy wants to take his trailer home it has to be in safe condition before he does,” Wooley said.

Depending on the results of the investigation and the outcome in court, the Ontario Ministry of Transport may still become involved, whether through maintenance or logbook audits.

The accident is the first wheel-off-related fatality since the highly publicized deaths of two people in 1996 and 1997. The accidents prompted government to legislate the toughest penalties for wheel-off incidents in North America. The law sets fines up to $50,000 and does not allow owners or operators to rely on due diligence as a standard defense.