SOUTH WAYNE - Francis Fox looked out the window of his rural South Wayne home and saw his fruit tree was damaged.
He was sure wind was the culprit.
When Fox, 81, went out to get his mail, he spotted the real culprit - the wheel of a semi truck.
"I've lived here 17 years and never had anything like this happen before," Fox said. "It weighs so much I can't lift it. Two men probably couldn't lift it."
Fox said the wayward wheel made its way into his yard Thursday or Friday.
He believes a semi westbound on Wisconsin 11 lost the tire, which cleared a snow bank, went airborne for more than 100 feet, slammed through a plum tree and came to rest less than 100 feet from his house.
The wheel, which Fox said is more than four feet wide and more than a foot thick, still had some mounting bolts attached to it.
"It was pretty chewed up," Fox said. "And the tree will live."
Fox said the fully-grown tree, which still bears fruit, lost about half its branches.
As far as the tire, Fox has plans for it.
"I'm going to fill it full of dirt and plant some flowers in it," Fox said.
He was sure wind was the culprit.
When Fox, 81, went out to get his mail, he spotted the real culprit - the wheel of a semi truck.
"I've lived here 17 years and never had anything like this happen before," Fox said. "It weighs so much I can't lift it. Two men probably couldn't lift it."
Fox said the wayward wheel made its way into his yard Thursday or Friday.
He believes a semi westbound on Wisconsin 11 lost the tire, which cleared a snow bank, went airborne for more than 100 feet, slammed through a plum tree and came to rest less than 100 feet from his house.
The wheel, which Fox said is more than four feet wide and more than a foot thick, still had some mounting bolts attached to it.
"It was pretty chewed up," Fox said. "And the tree will live."
Fox said the fully-grown tree, which still bears fruit, lost about half its branches.
As far as the tire, Fox has plans for it.
"I'm going to fill it full of dirt and plant some flowers in it," Fox said.