First and foremost, this situation represents a significant tragedy, and my heartfelt condolences extend to the family and the surviving children. Like many others, I have closely followed builders over the years and, in numerous instances, have formed meaningful friendships. I can certainly affirm that I have been an active member of the car and truck community as a builder for over three decades, during which I have fostered lifelong connections; thus, this community resembles one large, extended family. I happen to follow Josh and Christina on Instagram (Rubistina) and was profoundly saddened to learn of this unfortunate news. Since that moment, amidst the sorrow, the engineer within me has been reflecting on various scenarios concerning how this tragedy may have transpired and what preventive measures could have been taken, or could be implemented in the future, to avert such incidents. There are numerous factors that could contribute to this complex equation; however, upon reviewing their Instagram posts, several observations have emerged. In addition to the roll cage, seat harness, and other onboard safety features, they shared updates about new tires being installed on their beadlock wheels just the day prior. This observation raises questions, and I am eager to learn what conclusions the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will reach regarding the beadlock wheels and whether a failure may have occurred. Furthermore, other considerations may pertain to potential failures in steering linkage or ball joints, which could have resulted in a loss of control. Either way, my heart is broken.
