Risk Management Magazine

Ask anyone who regularly pulls a trailer and they will have at least one story about it coming off its hitch, pushing them through a busy intersection, losing its brakes or suddenly getting blown into another lane of traffic. Most of these stories have a humorous side and an uneventful ending. For inexperienced drivers, however, some of these events end in disaster.

On one of our rides, we decided to enjoy the majestic beauty of God’s creation by cruising to the Crazy Horse Memorial and then down to Custer State Park. Traffic in our direction was pretty light that morning and only slightly busier in the oncoming northbound lanes. We were enjoying the ride — but that was about to dramatically change.

As the cotter pin began to yield to the technician's efforts, an unforeseen consequence arose. In the heat of the moment, the technician underestimated the amount of force required to dislodge the pin completely. With a sudden and unexpected release of tension, the cotter pin broke free from its moorings, propelled by the force exerted by the technician.