Re: wheels come off - speed doubles?

[SSHS KPHOX <kphox@MAIL.CCSD.K12.CO.US>]

PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu writes:
> I'm having a hard time figuring what physical mechanism might make
> the speed double. I want to say this is bogus, despite the highway
> patrol (see text and video) obviously taking it as fact... it if was
> true, there should be an obvious kinetic energy principle behind it,
> but I see none.

On Wednesday, Newton Grove police
                                            believe a truck was speeding,
possibly
                                            going 55 in a 35-mph zone,
when the
                                            extra wheels came off a
trailer,
                                            barreling through a field and
into a
                                            house, damaging a bedroom.

I am confused by this thread. Where do we see that the tires speed
increased? If it had, wouldn't it have passed the truck and made the
driver well aware of his loss?

Bewildered in Colorado

Ken Fox