Know the Road with the CHP: What should I do if an object falls out of my car?

Friday, November 6, 2020
Know the Road: What should I do if an object falls out of my car?
An ABC30 viewer wanted to know: what should I do if an object falls out of my car and into the roadway? Could I get a ticket for it?

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- An ABC30 viewer wanted to know: what should I do if an object falls out of my car and into the roadway? Could I get a ticket for it?

"So if you're driving down the roadway and you lose a portion of your load or something you're carrying inside your vehicle, whether it be a car or a truck, you're responsible for that load, and anything that happens as a result of you spilling that load onto the roadway," said Sgt. Brian Pennings with the California Highway Patrol. "So it's of utmost importance that you secure your load before you hit the road."

"So hypothetically speaking, if you're going down the freeway and you lose a large item out of the back of your truck and it blows out, what should you do? First of all this is a very dangerous situation," Pennings explained. "If you decide to stop, make sure you pull over to the right shoulder and stop in a safe location."

"You should call 911 and advise CHP dispatch of the situation and see if there's an officer in the area that could come to safely remove that item from the freeway. We do not want you running out in the freeway and trying to retrieve it by yourself."

For other answers from the CHP, go to abc30.com/knowtheroad.

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