Fallen debris causes more than a dozen flat tires during morning commute

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - More than a dozen cars got flat tires after hitting debris in the roadway and causing a traffic jam during the Monday morning commute in Alabama.

Eighteen vehicles were impacted with flat tires from debris on Interstate 65 in the Birmingham area, according to police. Officials with the Alabama Department of Transportation said the debris fell off of a stalled vehicle.

The first reports of flat tires came at about 5 a.m., and by 7 a.m. three or four vehicles were disabled on the shoulder of the interstate between the exits Green Springs Avenue and University Boulevard.

One person stranded said everyone involved was frustrated by the situation.

“I was talking to other people as we were bonding over having to sit here and wait for tow trucks and everything. Their experiences were the same,” Reginald Harris said.

While traffic was moving, it was significantly slower than the normal commute. Tow trucks and Birmingham Police were on the scene to help drivers stuck on the shoulder of the interstate.

“They’re just frustrated that they were just driving to work and all various different types of places and coming across scrap metal, and now they’ve got a flat tire, got to call out of work, everything. Everybody is just frustrated by it, to be honest,” Harris said.

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