After a deadly truck crash in Ohio left two men dead last year, Fontaine Fifth Wheel has agreed to recall 6,800 truck hitches that were sold to Daimler, Volvo, Mack, Navistar, Kenworth and Peterbilt.
Fontaine admitted that the hitches can be damaged over time by truck operators who do not follow correct coupling and maintenance procedures. Over time, Fontaine said that damage can cause the hitch to malfunction or fail.
The NHTSA began investigating the hitches after a January 2014 crash on U.S. 50. In the incident, a truck’s 12-ton trailer detached on a snowy hill, plowing into a line of morning commuters and killing two. The NHTSA drew substantial criticism for waiting until 17 months after the fatal crash to begin investigating the hitches.
Fontaine stopped manufacturing the recalled hitches in 2013 and will replace them with a different model.
Sources:
ABC News
US News & World Report
Ohio.com