An Alberta nurse and her three children narrowly escaped injury after the front tire of the woman’s SUV flew off while traveling from Summerland to Alberta.
On Thursday, July 23 at around 5:30 p.m., Krista Paulsen was driving her 2006 Honda Pilot with her three children when the front wheel of her car came off on Highway 1 in the Rocky Mountains of Canmore Alberta, according to Paulsen’s father, Rick Bigland.
According to Bigland, Paulsen left Summerland and headed home towards Canmore at 9:30 a.m. on July 23 after a three-week stay with her parents.
Fortunately, Paulsen was able to maintain control of her car and get it off the road. However, the car sustained damage to the hub and rim and tire continued some distance down the highway after coming off the car.
According to Bigland, it was apparent from looking at the car that all five lug nuts had come off the wheel. He said the car had not had any wheel work done for several months prior to the incident and that the car had been parked almost solely in Summerland for the duration of Paulsen’s holiday, occasionally going to the local beach in Summerland.
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Paulsen had also not stopped anywhere on the trip except for gas, according to Bigland. All three other wheels’ lug nuts were tight and secure, which is why Bigland thinks all five lug nuts on the tire of her Honda were intentionally loosened sometime during her stay in Summerland.
“It was apparent from looking at the car that all five lug nuts had come off the wheel,” said Bigland.
“The car had not had any wheel work done for several months prior to this. The car had been parked almost solely in Summerland for the duration of her holiday, occasionally going to the local beach in Summerland. It had not stopped anywhere on the trip except for gas. All three other wheels lug nuts were tight and secure. The only conclusion is that someone had loosened the lug nuts on the car while it was parked at the residence on Hespeler Road in Summerland or at the beach in Summerland.”
The vehicle had Alberta plates, although it is not sure if this is a factor in the incident.
Bigland said the Summerland RCMP are looking into the matter, but Mounties declined to comment publicly. The Summerland Review has reached out to Krista Paulsen for more information.
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