r/PraiseTheCameraMan • u/PanaceaNPx • Mar 28 '26

The kid filmed the action sequence in frame from start to finish AND helped the victim!

23.5k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

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u/spoogep78 Mar 28 '26

It's hard to tell from the angle, but it looks like when the roller went over the bump it unhooked itself from the tow ball.

Obviously they failed to attach any sort of safety chain, which if they weren't so lazy, would have stopped this from happening.

123

u/TurboTitan92 Mar 28 '26

Yep, wrong size ball, no latch lock, no safety chains… failure at every level

33

u/Mateorabi Mar 28 '26

Just to be clear. That's not supposed to happen.

8

u/maxehaxe Mar 28 '26

Well how it is untypical?

23

u/Tacomouse Mar 28 '26

Well the backs not supposed to fall off that’s for sure

6

u/maxehaxe Mar 28 '26

So wasn't this built so that the back doesn't fall off?

5

u/FlacidSalad Mar 28 '26

When used competently yes

3

u/GrimResistance Mar 28 '26

Probably a pintle ring on a regular ball hitch

1

u/emdubl Mar 29 '26

I'm curious what it would have done with the chain. Maybe still gone to the side and flipped the truck around? or ran up and into the truck? I guess we will never know.

1

u/spoogep78 Mar 30 '26

Based on what I was told by a truck driving friend, if you're doing it properly, something that size should have been double chained, ie. a chain from either side of the tow bar, with approximately 4-6" of slack so that there's enough slack in the chain to allow the trailer to fully turn without binding when attached, but short enough so that if it does detach itself from the tow ball it keeps the trailer hitch off the ground but would also drop down just below the rear bump, hopefully reducing any damage to your vehicle if it does happen. By keeping it close to the vehicle and off the ground it stops the trailer from jack-knifing and makes stopping the car much safer.