Phoenix ,AZ : Tire failure led to I-10 crash and three people died on Sunday ,July 26th 2015

As a tragic scene unfolded on Interstate 10 Sunday, Howard Fleischmann of Community Tire Pro's says he immediately saw the culprit.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety says it was a tire failure that caused the driver to lose control, cross the median, and flip over.

"I saw the tire, and it's obvious the one side separated," said Fleischmann.

It's a somber warning to all drivers.

"You've got pavement now that can be 180 degrees in the Summer, you add an underinflated tire to that it's a disaster," said Fleischmann.

Three people lost their lives in this rollover on Sunday. He says he sees many tires that are downright dangerous on the roads.

"For example this one came in Saturday, he had run any further on this it would have started coming apart, so there would have been gators, or pieces coming out of there," he said.

They call them road gators, pieces of tires strewn along the roadway as the rubber breaks down.

"A tire has two natural enemies, heat and neglect, we have both in Arizona," said Fleischmann.

If you don't have time to take your car in for a tire check, he suggests using a quarter to check the tread.

"And if you can see the top of the President's head, it can tell you the tire is down to replacement time... it's something you really have to stay up on, that is why they've gone to all the lights on the dashboard telling us when we have a tire problem, and that's saved lives because we're not paying attention," he said.

Source :

DPS: tire failure led to I-10 crash