A Texas mother of two died in a freak accident Thursday night when the wheel of a nearby truck came loose and flew into her windshield.
Carol Hardy was driving her 17-year-old son Kayden home from his baseball game when the tragic incident happened on Eastex Freeway in New Caney around 7:15 p.m., KTRK reported.
Hardy, 52, was driving a white GMC pickup in the southbound lanes when a wheel from a Dodge pickup truck heading north flew over the concrete barrier and crashed into the mother’s windshield, killing her instantly.
Her son, who was asleep in the front passenger seat at the time, was taken to a local hospital with a hand injury, but was later released.
The impact also caused Hardy’s pickup to crash into a nearby Buick. That vehicle’s occupants – a father and three children – were taken to a hospital, where they were said to be in a stable condition, KRIV reported.
The 16-year-old driver of the truck that lost the wheel was not injured. Authorities are continuing to investigate, but no charges have been filed at this time.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Hardy family with funeral costs and hospital bills. As of Monday morning, it had raised more than $36,000 towards its $50,000 goal.