Physics rule

Two days, two blasts of thunderstorm rain, two big-rig wrecks.

July 20 brought gentle rain of about 20 minutes, just long enough to float the oil and rubber accumulated on the surface of Interstate 80 across the river from my home.

July 21 brought a cloudburst of about 10 minutes, enough water to float the rest of the oil and rubber.

Just after 5:30 p.m. on July 20, a westbound tractor-trailer, headed down hill, lost traction on the wet concrete, smashed through the guard rail on its left, and plunked down in the eastbound lanes about 15 feet below. Crossways. Upright. The truck jackknifed and pinned itself against another guard rail. The road was closed until 11 p.m.

Just after 5:30 p.m. on July 21, an eastbound tractor-trailer, headed up hill reached a spot within 100 feet or so of the first wreck, lost traction, skidded and rolled. The trailer ended up upside down and bent. The truck was right side up and bent.

The road was closed until well after 11 p.m.

Bizarrely, none of the cars and trucks behind the big-rigs smashed into them. Not even when the first one dropped out of the sky.

A thousand people had the pleasure of sitting in traffic for 3 hours while NDOT and NHP cleared the wrecks.

The first night, the woman next door was warned via text and took a different route home, 45 miles or so, north to Pyramid Lake and south to I80 20 miles or so east of home.

The second night, it was her husband's turn.

King Physics never loses.

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