Woman Dies After tyre Explosion

Woman Dies After tyre Explosion

news.bbc.co.uk

A 27-year-old woman, who suffered serious injuries after a car tyre exploded at the weekend, has died.

Jenna Wilcox, a US citizen who was holidaying in Scotland with her husband, died at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh on Thursday.

The incident happened on Edinburgh Road, Dalkeith, Midlothian, at about 1800 GMT on Saturday 27 March.

It is understood Mrs Wilcox was holding the car tyre inside the vehicle when it exploded.

It is thought the car tyre had just been changed.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This story strikes me as strange. Mrs Wilcox was killed by an exploding tyre. That alone would seem to me to be pretty unlikely - but if she had just changed the tyre then wouldn't it be flat?

I can't find any more info online about this but I have reason to believe this whole incident has been taken very seriously. I live close to the Hospital mentioned in the article.

I'm intrigued as to the extent of injuries it's possible to sustain from an exploding tyre and the identity of the people involved.

Apologies if this is in the wrong section or I've not observed some other protocol, this is my first post.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

I suspect she was holding a tire that had just been repaired or inflated.

Sadly I witnessed just such tire failure many years ago. We were having the duels on the rear axle replace and the guy working on the truck used the flammable inflation method to seal the bead. Then he proceeded to inflate without a pressure gauge on the line.

This was not a roadside repair, it was at a shop with a proper safety cage, but hot shot mechanic decided not to follow procedure.
Part of his shoulder and a section of the right side of his face was torn away, so scarred for life, but he survived.

Most people have no idea how dangerous a tire can be if not properly inspected for defects and it's over inflated.

EDIT: Here's safety bulletin from our Ministry of Labour.

www.labour.gov.on.ca...


And yes, a tire can rip your head right off......

[edit on 2/4/2010 by anxietydisorder]

That's interesting, thanks. I can understand that when a tyre is getting inflated or worked upon it could explode. It just seems unlikely to happen if you weren't doing anything to it. My curiosity got aroused by the amount of intelligence officers that seemed to be around. I also heard a rumour that she was in the military - infact, the article has been updated since I posted it. She was a US Air Force Officer....

Unless evidence comes out that it was an explosive device I'll stick to an accidental failure.

If it was over inflated with any sidewall damage just the expansion of the pressurized air, and then putting the tire in a hot car could have been the tipping point that sadly took her life.

AHA! This is the reason I'm afraid of car tires.

They are deadly. I knew it.

Fear confirmed.