Rogue tire busts through Midlothian family's backyard

A Midlothian family woke up to quite a sight over the weekend.

Their brick fence in their backyard was busted. The culprit was a tire that looked like it came off a large truck or trailer perhaps from nearby Highway 287.

The Kaetzel family expected to have some noise when they moved into their home that backs up to Harvest Hill Drive that runs along Highway 287. They did not expect objects flying through brick walls.

For police, what happened at the Kaetzel home is further justification for a new team they'll soon have patrolling the roads.

From the highway, it looks someone shot a cannonball through the Kaetzel family's backyard wall. On the inside, bits and pieces of brick are everywhere. The worst of the damage is right near where the tire hit.

Samantha Kaetzel heard a sound like glass shattering very early Sunday morning. It wasn't until the HOA president pointed it out later Sunday that she realized a tire had come crashing toward their house. It partially stopped by a shed on the other side.

“We were happy that it wasn't during the day. The kids weren’t out here playing, and the shed was there. It wasn't a few feet over,” Kaetzel said.

It’s unclear where the tire came from. But if it came from 287, it would have had to travel a quite a bit of distance across a grass patch, then across a service road before hitting their fence.

Every day, Midlothian highways are jam-packed with trucks and trailers. The city is full of plants and work sites.

It's part of the reason why Midlothian PD is about the launch a commercial vehicle unit to inspect large vehicles and trailers and make sure there aren't issues with brakes and other equipment. Police say the incident shows the need for a unit like that patrolling the roads.  

“If it wasn't for that shed, it could have been even worse,” Kaetzel said.

Midlothian PD says there are no markings on the tire that tie back to the truck. They also checked call logs for disabled vehicles reports and in neighboring cities but didn't turn anything up.