'We should be dead': Truck tyre strikes family's car on Auckland motorway

A family has described a narrow escape after a truck tyre came loose and struck their car on an Auckland motorway, causing significant damage to the vehicle but leaving the occupants uninjured.

Wheel separation incidents are rare but consistently serious. At motorway speed a loose tyre carries enough energy to destroy a windscreen or roof structure, and outcomes depend largely on where it strikes.

Heavy vehicle wheel security is governed by maintenance and torque-check requirements, and investigations into these incidents typically focus on servicing records and re-torque intervals after wheel work.

The family's account — that they should not have survived the impact — reflects how narrow the margin was. Police and transport authorities generally treat such reports as maintenance failures rather than driver error.