‘I thought she was dead.’ Bride-to-be holding down mattress flies out of moving truck.

Emma Everett Johnson, KSL.com

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (KSL.com) — The time earlier Alex Kessinger’s wedding was 1 of nan scariest days of his life.

It started retired usually — he and his then-fiancée, Lydia Kessinger, had been finishing up immoderate last-minute errands earlier their large day. One of nan first things connected their to-do database was to move a king-size mattress from Provo to their caller spot successful Spanish Fork.

They were successful a small spot of a “time crunch,” Kessinger admits, truthful they hastily decided his wife-to-be would thrust successful nan backmost of nan truck, lying connected apical of nan mattress truthful it wouldn’t alert retired of nan cargo bed.

It was expected to beryllium an easy, 10-minute thrust connected backmost roads. But nan travel was trim short erstwhile Lydia Kessinger and nan mattress flew retired of nan backmost of nan truck, which was going 50 mph down State Street successful Provo.

“I retrieve looking successful nan rear position reflector and conscionable seeing nan flash of white,” Alex Kessinger said. “I thought she was dead.”

Lydia can’t retrieve galore specifications of nan accident. She remembers flying retired of nan motortruck bed, rolling connected nan thoroughfare and past moving to nan broadside of nan road. She doesn’t retrieve really precocious she flew aliases really she landed.

She walked distant from nan mishap pinch roadworthy rash and harm to her beforehand teeth, but knows it could person been a batch worse. If nan mates could spell backmost to that day, they opportunity they would person strapped nan mattress down.

Thursday, connected National Secure Your Load Day, nan Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Department of Public Safety dream different Utahns will do nan same.

“Summertime is going to beryllium our highest clip for debris retired connected nan road,” said Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Cameron Roden.

In nan summertime months, location thin to beryllium much building projects, movers and location cleanups, Roden said. Sometimes, nan instrumentality aliases furnishings group tote astir ends up connected nan roadway.

“We person 750 crashes a twelvemonth related to this,” Roden said. As of June 3, unsecured loads person contributed to 233 crashes and 1 fatality.

All fatal unsecured load crashes successful nan past 5 years person progressive antheral drivers, according to nan Utah Department of Public Safety.

It’s vulnerable for nan public, and it’s vulnerable for UHP troopers, who respond to much than 70 calls per time involving roadworthy debris. Plus, it costs a ton — year-to-date litter removal adds up to $2.9 million.

This is each avoidable, Roden said. Properly securing loads isn’t rocket science, it conscionable requires a small patience and nan correct tools.

The section recommends placing lighter items beneath heavier items and securely fastening heavier items straight to nan vehicle.

Bungee cords tin activity OK for lighter loads, but you’ll want a tie-down strap if you’re transporting thing heavy-duty. Secure a nett aliases tarp complete nan full load if you want immoderate other coverage.

If you person doubts, consult extracurricular sources earlier driving away. Look up a YouTube video, sojourn a website or, if you’re astatine a hardware aliases furnishings store, inquire labor for help.

Alex and Lydia Kessinger were fortunate their unsecured load didn’t consequence successful lasting damage. After a time astatine nan infirmary patching up roadworthy burns and astatine nan dentist getting fillings, they celebrated their wedding without immoderate existent hiccups.

As for nan mattress? It survived nan mishap but was ruined successful a downpour while nan Kessingers were astatine nan hospital.

Alex Kessinger is conscionable gladsome his woman loved him capable to spell done pinch nan matrimony aft her accident. Now, he has immoderate proposal for different drivers.

“I wasn’t thinking,” he said. “If you person thing successful nan backmost of your truck, and you don’t strap it in, you’re not thinking.”

Alex and Lydia Kessinger picture really she and a mattress flew retired of nan furniture of their motortruck because nan mattress wasn’t decently secured. Utah proscription officials are reminding drivers it is their work to unafraid transported objects. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News