It’s a scene reminiscent of the movie ‘Final Destination’: a lone tire rolling free down a New Jersey highway — keeping pace with cars in the fast lane — before hopping the median and striking two vehicles.
The tire, apparently from a truck, rolled down Route 440 south in Edison at a high speed Wednesday afternoon. Another driver caught the incredible scene, as it changed lanes to the left and bounced into the path of the Rice family.
It nicked John Rice’s wife’s vehicle - with their children inside, he was following her - but then Rice and his Jeep took the brunt of a vicious impact that set off his airbags and left his vehicle in shambles.
“When I first saw the tire, all that was going through my mind was ‘Please don’t hit my wife,’" the Piscataway police office said. “That would not have been a good outcome.”
The Rices were traveling north on Route 440 heading back from Woodbridge when the southbound tire entered their lane, glancing off the passenger side of the rear bumper of his wife’s car, he said.
Rice said he tried to avoid the object, to no avail. The tire hit his front bumper and “basically exploded,” he said.
A car driven by an off-duty Piscataway cop was destroyed after a runaway tire rolled down Route 440 and bouncing over the median.Courtesy John Rice
It popped the hood of his Jeep Wrangler, cracked the windshield and destroyed the front of his car. The Jeep went across all three lanes of the highway before stopping past the shoulder in the grass.
“My wife looked at the car and thought I was dead,” Rice said, noting he just had some soreness from the impact and the airbags going off, but no major injuries. “I’m definitely lucky.”
He said having his Jeep Wrangler’s steel front bumper, and that he did not have the top down, helped save his life.
A car driven by an off-duty Piscataway cop was destroyed after a runaway tire rolled down Route 440 and bouncing over the median.Courtesy John Rice
The New Jersey State Police are investigating where the tire came from. Rice said he believes the tire came from a dump truck, and is hoping the driver or someone who saw the incident comes forward.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the State Police at 609-882-2000 or through their tip line.
Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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