Fiver Pin Separated From Hitch on Interstate

There seems to be a lot of speculation about what happened. The hitch was hitched correctly. After separation, the jaws were still locked, the latch bar was in place, pinned and clipped. Two different highway patrolmen and the tow truck operator inspected the hitch and all appears to be as one would expect. One poster theorized that it may have been high-hitched. The plate of the fifth wheel and the pin plate on the trailer would be separated. If somehow it would actually be possible to pull away without noticing the gap, with the pin on top of the jaws, there would be evidence on the closed jaws such as paint scraped and eroded from the improper placement. The only such wear is between the jaws. The hitch is less than two months old so worn hitch components is not the issue. I will have the hitch and the installation reviewed for faulty parts or improper installation, before I use it again so I can be reassured that this will not happen again. Although the investigating patrolman indicated the installation appeared to be correct and was extremely solid and secure. As an engineer, I know that nothing is fool-proof. New parts sometimes fail and human operators occasionally make mistakes.