Buckets on the Bypass; A Cautionary Tale of Avoiding Highway Debris

I wasn't planning on writing about my driving debacle, but after getting a phone call from Chad today, I changed my mind. He was on the Natcher driving to Nashville and noticed all kinds of debris on the road. There was a work truck parked up ahead on the side, and a man reattaching a tarp that had come loose.

Welp, that explains the mess, I guess. It also immediately made me think of last Friday (the driving debacle I mentioned) when I was headed to pick up Jimmy Parrott in Hawesville for his birthday. Driving along on the Owensboro bypass, I was almost to Reid's Orchard when I noticed the truck in front of me swerve to the left to avoid something that was now rolling towards me.

I swear I was not following too close, but I definitely didn't have enough time to also swerve and avoid the object. However, I never felt a big bump or anything either, but once I turned Brooks & Dunn's volume down, I could hear a buzzing noise coming from the front end.

Was the dang bucket stuck under there? What if it came out while I was driving and caused a wreck or something? I had to pull over and investigate. By this point, in my immediate panic, I called Chad, who was in the studio. He needed to know my journey to Jimmy was delayed.

I also needed to holler "WHAT DO I DO? HELP!?" into the phone before my brain kicked into gear. I was right there at Exit 21 towards Hwy 144, ready to run across the field and ask the Reid family for assistance if need be, but I was determined to figure it out. I had to get down on my belly on the dirty asphalt.

Here's how the craziness played out. It was also super windy and chilly, which didn't help.

It was super stuck, so I got back in the WBKR Jeep and put 'er in reverse. Sure enough, it came right out, and I was on my way. My hands were filthy, but I tossed the bucket in the back seat to safely dispose of it, and Jimmy was so sweet to give me paper towels to clean up once I made it there safely.

Consider this your reminder to keep PLENTY of room between your vehicle and the one in front of you. That way, if there is anything to avoid, you can hopefully quickly and carefully do so. Better than me anyway! If you do think you've hit something, pull over to a spacious, well-lit area, put on your hazard lights, and check your vehicle to make sure something isn't stuck.

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When I shared my predicament with my friends, one of them responded that a similar situation also happened to them on the bypass. Their son had to come help get the bucket out! I don't share this to make anyone scared or paranoid, but it certainly wouldn't hurt for us all to be more aware on the roads. Especially when driving at high speeds. Better safe than sorry, friends!