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25-Year-Old Driver Killed by Flying Tire on Florida Highway

Sometimes, you can’t help but think “Man, this seems ripped from one of those Final Destination movies,” because it’s so twisted and unexpected and violent. This is one of those cases: a New York man was killed by a flying tire on a Florida highway. He was only 25 years old.
25-year-old man dies after tire smashes into his SUV's windshield 1 photo
Photo: Victoria Police
Joseu Alfonso Cala of Tuxedo Park, New York, was driving his Ford SUV when the accident happened. A box truck in front of him experienced a malfunction, and one of its front tires was sent flying through the air.

It hit a concrete barrier and bounced with incredible speed, smashing into the SUV’s windshield and killing the driver, Cala, on the spot, ABC News reports. The other passenger in the SUV, an unidentified woman, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Photos and video from the scene of the crash show the extensive damage to the SUV’s windshield and front left side. The accident occurred on Interstate 95 in Oakland Park, Florida, just north of Fort Lauderdale, the Florida Highway Patrol confirms for the media outlet. The driver of the box truck wasn’t injured in any way.

All three people involved in the crash were wearing their seat belts at the time of the incident, and police have already established that alcohol was not a factor. This was a simple case of bad luck, a twisted coincidence.

FHP officials said the box truck ‘suffered a catastrophic tire failure,’ but the cause of the failure is still under investigation,” ABC News reports. As is customary in such cases, police refuse to engage in speculation as to the causes of the accident.

Adds FHP Lt. Alvaro Feola, “Obviously, when one of these events and this tragedy happens, it’s really sad. You’re traveling northbound and you get struck by a tire.”
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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