Video Shows Officer's Close Encounter With Runaway Tire

PLEASANTON, CA — A video posted recently to the Pleasanton Police Department's social media account shows an officer's close encounter with a runaway tire hurtling toward him during a traffic stop.

Officer Josh Christensen turned on his helmet-mounted cam in mid-2018 as he prepared to stop a big rig for a traffic violation while heading northbound on Santa Rita Road, past past Valley Avenue. He was focusing on the big rig when he noticed a tire rolling past the median toward him at about 40 to 45 mph, he said.

"What are the chances," Christensen said. "It was a scary moment."

He put his feet down, locked his arms and prepared for impact. The tire hit the front wheel of his motorcycle, bounced 20 feet in the air and landed off the side of the road.

Christensen had some pain in his wrist, but was back to work the next day. He said he later learned that people have died in similar incidents.

It turned out that a woman driving southbound in an SUV lost a tire, and didn't know what happened at first, Christensen said. She felt scraping, pulled over and realized she lost her tire.

Christensen — then a traffic officer, now a motorcycle instructor — said the job can be exhausting. Officers' eyes are constantly moving, scanning the road, trying to be aware of everything. The incident made him realize he needed to be a bit more mindful of his surroundings, he said.

The big rig got off with a warning.

See video of the incident here.