The discussion in the recent Stern Tie-down thread included a reference to an accident that occurred in Michigan and resulted in the death of a driver. I didn’t want to hijack that thread, but I’d really like to know more about what happened. The accident was reported in many news articles at the time, and I have read all I found. I’ve found court records from the lawsuit the driver’s widow and estate filed against the kayaker. I have not found what caused the kayak to fly off the vehicle. Something had to come undone or break. What? How?
The reason I’d like to know what broke is that I cartop my kayak on saddle/rack very similar to what was on the Honda. I’d hate for my kayak to take flight, so I’d like to learn from this accident.
The accident occurred on 10/23/22. The kayaker was driving a Honda Accord on the Seely Stretch of M-28. Matt Morgrette was driving a pickup truck in the opposite direction. The kayak became airborne, went over the pickup and hit the vehicle behind it. It wasn’t the kayak, but some part of the rack that went through Morgrette’s windshield and killed him. This strikes me as odd, because since the kayak and the rack took different flight paths, the kayak must not have been attached to the rack. How was it attached?
The Honda was fitted with Thule towers which appear to take a rectangular bar on which Malone saddles were mounted. Among items police recovered were a bent rack, two web straps, and a cable covered in translucent plastic that had a loop on one end and was broken on the other end.
The temperature in nearby Manistique around the time of the accident was in the 60’s (F). Wind was NW about 10, gusting to 20 mph. So, it doesn’t seem like weather was a big factor. I don’t know how fast each vehicle was traveling.
The court case was settled without trial. Morgrette, et al, was awarded $250,000. There being no trial, there is no record explaining what happened. I have searched for other cases, such as Morgrette vs. Thule or Malone, or both, and haven’t found anything. My guess is Thule and Malone have more money than the kayaker, so it seems injury lawyers would target them. Of course, big companies also have legal teams. The kayaker’s defense was, basically, “don’t sue me, it was Thule and Malone.” A quarter million dollars isn’t much for killing a man. Pure conjecture on my part, but I wonder if Thule and Malone also paid out. If rooftop racks are your main products, you might be anxious to avoid a court case that would produce negative news about your product. You might negotiate a payout and a non-disclosure agreement before a court case is filed. Pure conjecture.
Some of you live in Michigan. Maybe you remember this incident and know what caused the accident. I’ll be grateful if you can help me understand what went wrong.