Bowling Ball Tossed Off Bridge Injures Trucker

[deezelpope]

How STUPID some people are!!!

Bowling Ball Tossed Off Bridge Injures Trucker

Aug 28, 2007 11:48 am US/Central

(AP) Fairmont, Minn. The State Patrol is seeking information from the public that might lead investigators to whoever dropped a bowling ball off a bridge over Interstate 90 that smashed through the windshield of a truck, seriously injuring the driver.

Ted Maki, 54, of Missoula, Mont., was eastbound at 70 mph, hauling mail from Seattle to Philadelphia, when the bowling ball hit him in the face around 12:15 a.m. Sunday near Fairmont. His rig then went through the median, crossed both of the westbound lanes, plowed through a fence and came to a stop in a corn field about a half mile down the road, the State Patrol said.

Maki was taken to St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester with facial injuries. He was released Monday. A passenger in Maki's truck escaped injury. No other vehicles were involved.

"We don't know if it was a young or old person who could not fathom the consequence," said Jacalyn Sticha, a State Patrol spokeswoman. "This type of behavior is not a prank, it's assault, and can be disastrous. We are thankful that his injuries were not any more severe. This could have been much more tragic."

Investigators had no immediate suspects, and asked for anyone who might know something to call the State Patrol at 1-507-389-1171.

"We are hoping table talk, friends gossiping, rumors or even little inklings" will help, Sticha said. "Even if it seems small or it might not even seem relevant, call the Minnesota State Patrol."

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Video: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20494343/

Couple who cheated death on highway feel sorry for prankster

By Mike Celizic
TODAYShow.com contributor
Updated: 9:25 a.m. CT Aug 29, 2007


To listen to Ted and Dawn Maki tell it, you’d almost think it was just a really big bug that hit the windshield of their Kenworth truck instead of a bowling ball that could have killed them both on a Minnesota highway.

“The way I look at life is you just take what comes your way and deal with it the best you can and get to work putting it behind you,” Ted told TODAY’s Ann Curry during a joint appearance with his wife Wednesday. “It’s just going to be history now, and I’m OK.”

Ted, 54, sported a huge shiner on his right eye, which was still swollen almost shut. His face was also swollen, but otherwise he showed no ill effects from being hit by a 10-pound bowling ball that crashed through his windshield Sunday as he was rolling at 65 or 70 mph on I-90 just outside of Fairmont, MN.

Police have no clues as to who dropped the ball off an overpass, and Dawn, 55, doesn’t really care. Curry noted that most people would be outraged that someone would do something so potentially lethal, but the Makis instead feel sorry for whoever did it.

“I just feel if someone was stupid enough to do this, then they really have problems, and they’re going to have a hard life ahead of them,” she said in the live satellite interview from Sioux Falls, S.D. “Or, if they were mean or evil enough to want to hurt somebody, then they are hurt deep inside or wounded so bad it’s really sad they have to go through life like that.”

The Makis, who have two grown sons and a granddaughter, have had their share of bad breaks.

Ted has overcome a stroke and has undergone a bone marrow transplant and the removal of his prostate. Dawn has survived breast cancer and a bilateral mastectomy.

The couple has been married 32 years. For the past 10 years, they have been driving a tractor-trailer rig together, taking turns driving on a weekly run from their hometown of Missoula, Mont., to Philadelphia and back, hauling mail under a contract with the U.S. Postal Service.

Ted was at the wheel on Sunday while Dawn was sleeping in the sleeper compartment behind the cab.

“I was looking at a store that had skylights in the town of Fairmont,” said Ted. “That’s about all I remember until I was woken up by my wife after the incident was more or less over.”

A very close call
The bowling ball had hit him in the face, knocking him unconscious. The truck continued on, rolling into the fast lane, then rambling through the median, crossing the westbound lanes, narrowly missing one vehicle, and finally careening into a cornfield where it finally came to a halt.

Dawn was jolted awake in the back by the explosive sound of the ball crashing through the windshield. Without being able to see either the highway or her husband, she had no idea what was happening.

“I thought maybe he was passing another vehicle and then he was going to slow down, but we just kept going,” she told Curry. “Then all of a sudden, I was being thrown everywhere, up and down. At one point I thought we were going to roll, but then we didn’t.

“We kept going and going, and it was probably the longest, wildest ride of my life.”
She was airborne at times as the truck bounded across the median and cornfield.

When it finally came to a halt, she crawled out of the sleeper compartment and into the cab, where it took some time to process the scene that greeted her.

“The first thing I saw was nothing but cornstalks on all three sides of the cab,” Dawn said. “I’m like, ‘Where are we at? What’s going on?’ And then I saw this huge hole and [Ted] kind of slumped over bleeding.

“At first I thought he hit the windshield and that’s what made the hole. But then I saw all the blood on his head and stuff — it just didn’t make sense,” she continued.

“I kind of lifted him up and put him in a seated position, and when I lifted him up I could see the bowling ball on the floor, and I’m like, ‘It’s just unbelievable.’”

The motorist who almost hit the rig as it ran across the westbound lanes stopped to help and call police, who called in a helicopter to airlift Ted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Doctors there said it was amazing that he didn’t suffer any life-threatening injuries. After holding him overnight, he was released on Monday.

The Makis say it will probably be three or four weeks before Ted is cleared to drive and they can go back to work. They won’t spend their off time feeling sorry for themselves or angry at whoever nearly killed them.

Said Dawn: “Life is too short.”

? 2007 MSNBC Interactive
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Ya know, in watching the video, I noticed they mention the truck ended up in a corn field...anyway, I can't begin to tell you just how fortunate that is, cuz there are some pretty steep hills and valleys here along the freeways...I sometimes get pretty creeped out when I drive in those areas!!

They also, erroneously, said it happened in Montana, right at the beginning of the video, and in the article, which I corrected.

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by deezelpope

Ya know, in watching the video, I noticed they mention the truck ended up in a corn field...anyway, I can't begin to tell you just how fortunate that is, cuz there are some pretty steep hills and valleys here along the freeways...I sometimes get pretty creeped out when I drive in those areas!!

They also, erroneously, said it happened in Montana, right at the beginning of the video, and in the article, which I corrected.

Thanks for sharing this. I live in Missoula, MT and Know the Maki's. Friends and Family are very relieved that both Ted and Dawn are OK. I first hear about the accident on CNN, but all that was released at the time was that it was a Truck Driver from Missoula, MT... when I later found out it was Ted, I was shocked to say the least.. it hits home when it happens to someone that you know.

Anyway, thanks again for sharing. If you hear anything new, just let me know.

Thank you.. Bobster

[deezelpope]

Originally Posted by bobster65

Thanks for sharing this. I live in Missoula, MT and Know the Maki's. Friends and Family are very relieved that both Ted and Dawn are OK. I first hear about the accident on CNN, but all that was released at the time was that it was a Truck Driver from Missoula, MT... when I later found out it was Ted, I was shocked to say the least.. it hits home when it happens to someone that you know.

Anyway, thanks again for sharing. If you hear anything new, just let me know.

Thank you.. Bobster

Oh, you're most welcome, Bobster. Of course, I'd be more than happy to post any updates!

I first heard of this several days ago, but it still shocks me that they're both ok for the most part...it's a miracle in my eyes!! Watching them speak in the video brought tears to my eyes...they have such a positive outlook on life!!

I agree with them...I hope the perpetrator gets the help they so obviously need!!

Could you do me a small favor, Bobster? Please give Ted and Dawn my best wishes, and (this will sound corny as hell, but I don't care) LOTS of love and hugs...and it's not only for me...a LOT of people here in Minnesota are rooting for them!!:up: Thank you, Bobster!

[Wayne Luke]

This happens quite a bit in Southern California where pranksters, usually teens, drop things off the freeway overpasses trying to hit cars. Really sad that they feel that to be amused they have to cause pain to others.

[deezelpope]

I agree, Wayne, it IS sad!! And I also think kids/teenagers are responsible in this case, as well. Karma will find its way to them in the end.

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by deezelpope

Oh, you're most welcome, Bobster. Of course, I'd be more than happy to post any updates!

I first heard of this several days ago, but it still shocks me that they're both ok for the most part...it's a miracle in my eyes!! Watching them speak in the video brought tears to my eyes...they have such a positive outlook on life!!

I agree with them...I hope the perpetrator gets the help they so obviously need!!

Could you do me a small favor, Bobster? Please give Ted and Dawn my best wishes, and (this will sound corny as hell, but I don't care) LOTS of love and hugs...and it's not only for me...a LOT of people here in Minnesota are rooting for them!!:up: Thank you, Bobster!

Thank You!! Ya, they are very nice classy folks. I will most certainly pass this message onto both family and friends. They have received a lot of nice messages from all over the country, specially from Minnesota. Thank you once again for your caring support :up:

[Brad]

A friend of mine tossed a gallon of bleach at a car once. The guy stopped and unloaded on us with his handgun.

Goes without saying but; My friend no longer throws things at cars.

[deezelpope]

You were with him when this happened, Brad? I don't suppose you happened to mention to him that throwing anything at cars is wrong, hm? :erm:

Originally Posted by bobster65

Thank You!! Ya, they are very nice classy folks. I will most certainly pass this message onto both family and friends. They have received a lot of nice messages from all over the country, specially from Minnesota. Thank you once again for your caring support :up:

They sound like 'good people' from what I saw in the video! And I truly hope 'bad luck' leaves them be from now on...they've certainly been through MORE than their share.

[Brad]

You were with him when this happened, Brad? I don't suppose you happened to mention to him that throwing anything at cars is wrong, hm?

I have a little time so I'll tell you the whole story.

First a little background; Where I live there isn't much to do! I live on a farm in the middle of nowhere in the NC foothills. Anyway before I got a car we used to invent stupid little games to pass the time. Some were not such great ideas!

We were playing a game called "Chunking". The object of said game was simple. After loading up on ammo (and old liquor) from my old house (which is still full of crap we own) we'd make our way to the highway.

There is a two-lane highway which runs directly through our land (not by choice, damn the state!). We also have a creek that runs through our land, highway crosses it at one point and the land was raised for the bridge. Basically there are good places to stand without begin seen.

We had a rule which was along the lines of; "Don't throw anything too hard at a car". Basically rocks were not allowed...or anything else we though may put the driver in danger (keep in mind that I didn't drive back then! I'd kill a stupid kid if they did stuff like this to me while I was coming down the highway. ).

On the night in question our ammo was a box of stuff my dad used to sell when he was involved in some kind of ponzi scheme. We were taking the caps off bottles and throwing them at passing cars for a good hour or so.

At some point it was decided to call it a night...I think we were going back to my house to drink some liquor or something.

Anyway there was this bottle of off-band bleach in the box we had. One of my friends was a big show off, had to the best, the bad-ass, liked to run his mouth a lot. So he grabs this bottle of bleach despite all of us yelling at him. He walks to the top of the hill and slings the bottle right at a passing car.

The guy driving the car slams on the brakes and gets out and unloads on us with a handgun. I don't know how many times he shot at us..hearing one was enough for me to know it was time to get the hell out of dodge! I ran like the wind towards the field behind our old house, doing a baseball slide under a barbed wire fence while my buddy jumped over it. Our other friend didn't see the fence and ended up running right in to it. ><

I was the only one that knew the land so it became my job to get the group back home. -,- The same guy that threw the bottle of bleach at the car was too chicken to take the short route home. So we ended up having to walk for an hour through high grass (wet high grass, up to your chin!). By the time we got home we were soaked.

Err so I guess there is a moral here;

1) Choose your friends wisely, they can ruin a good time.
2) Don't invent stupid games like this one.
3) Don't tell stories about stupid games locally (I've never broken this rule, afraid I'll get shot).

O and kids will be kids I guess.

[deezelpope]

Wow! You're damn lucky you weren't killed that night! Sounds like you're a more level-headed guy than that 'friend' of yours. I'm glad you filled in the details...it makes more sense now. Thank you. Good to hear you learned something from this, but still, you're right: kids will be kids!