Tire Smashes into House

PAW PAW, Mich (Newschannel 3) -A wheel flies off a semi and smashes right into one Van Buren County home causing all kinds of damage. The home sits fairly close to I-94 in the 50000 block of Ridgeview Circle in Paw Paw.

The Majors are use to traffic, noise, and semi-trucks.

"We come out here with the kids wave at the semis," said Mike Major.

"You can't keep the windows open to have very intimate conversation," said Wendy Major.

But the Majors got more than they bargained for when a semi's tire crashed into their house.

"I almost tripped over the tire. I'm looking all over the place, and I'm like where did this thing come from," said Mike.

"Living this close to I -94 you know where it's going to come from. Then it was how did it get here.

Mike couldn't even explain it to his insurance company.

"I call up and say a truck tire hit my house, they're like your motor home, and I'm like no my house. Where I reside, my home not my motor home. And they're like so it hit your trailer. Not my camping trailer, my house," said Mike.

The tire made quite a long and strange trip to hit the Majors house. An eastbound truck lost two tires. One flew over the westbound lane, and the large hill behind the Majors home. It vaulted a fence, skirted a tree, traveled through the neighbor's backyard, then hit the Majors fence before curling through their backyard to the house. It hit so hard it knocked out the plaster wall inside.

"I'm very glad it didn't hit the neighbors house, because they're always home," said Mike.

The Majors are glad they weren't home Friday when it happened. They have children and worried about what could have happened with a tire coming at them at 70-miles an hour.

"They weren't here, but if they were here it damaged the house enough to break drywall off inside," said Wendy.

They're willing to laugh it off, but wonder if a taller fence might be in order.

"I believe it's a new form of state games, semi-bowling," said Mike.

"It would be nice to have a privacy fence but the state doesn't have that type of money," said Wendy.

Thee Majors say insurance will cover some of the damages since they were able to get an accident report saying that a semi did lose two tires last Friday.