Last year at this time, I was rehearsing for a play called "The Curse of Frankenstein's Castle." Don't condemn yourself if you've never heard of it; it was an original play written and directed by a local resident. It was a spoof of the old horror movies, particularly of the Frankenstein movies.

Our Victor Frankenstein was played by an aspiring professional actor named Dan. Dan's a very good guy. 6' 2", 275 pounds and a devout gym rat. You might think, from this description, he's an intimidating specimen, but he's not. He's a giant teddy bear, very warm, loving and kind. The world needs more people like him. After our play was over, it seemed like every time I saw him at that theater, someone had their arms around him.

Last week, his girlfriend posted an announcement on her own Facebook, stating that Dan had gone missing. The police would not investigate as it hadn't been 24 hours and Dan is an adult.

It isn't like dependable Dan not to call. Even if his phone was out of power, he would have stopped at a gas station to call his girlfriend if he had to.

The next day, someone posted a story about a horrible freak accident on a highway overpass in Tampa. A 40-year-old woman "lost control" of her vehicle, and crashed into a semi, hauling hundreds of cases of tomatoes. The tractor, not the semi itself, was knocked off the overpass and fell onto a car passing under the overpass.

The driver was killed and we had to wait on dental records to be identified. When I read the story, I felt a sense of dread. The timing was right; Dan was last seen at 4PM, the accident took place at 4:20.

After several days, which seemed to take an interminably long time, my suspicions were confirmed. Dan was the driver. He was 31.

Everyone else involved escaped with minor injuries. I still want to know what is meant by "lost control" of her SUV. The weather at the time was clear and sunny. There isn't any reason to think she suddenly went skidding into oncoming traffic. Rather cynical of me, I admit, but I suspect she was probably using her phone and not paying attention to the road.

But I will have to resign myself to the fact that I'm not likely going to find out. The woman's name was withheld.

Yesterday, I had a terrible thought, and I'm going to hell for thinking this. But there's something perversely ironic about an actor being killed by a truckload of tomatoes.

I know. I'm terrible. I loved Dan as much as anyone else in that theatre, except his girlfriend. I miss that giant teddy bear.

Patrick- So sorry to hear this. I suspect you are correct that she was on her phone. People are so careless and I see it all the time. We don’t know each other, but you and your friends will be in my prayers today.

Yesterday, I had a terrible thought, and I'm going to hell for thinking this. But there's something perversely ironic about an actor being killed by a truckload of tomatoes.

Patrick, that's not a terrible thought, nor are you in any danger of perdition for thinking it. Finding something humorous in times of grief doesn't make you mean; in fact, I'll bet it's a common and healthy reaction. Further, the "terrible thought" as you described it tells me about how much you value your friend -- there's nothing mean about it.

So I'll echo Sheep Mom above: You and yours are in our thoughts and prayers.

I sorrow for your loss Patrick.

Hmmm...anyone see Killer Tomatoes?

On the other hand, whilst the woman may have been at fault, it may have been the trailer. When I bugged out of Tallahassee yesterday, going up I-65 to northern Alabama, a trailer hit an inconsistency or something on the road, and that trailer started sliding into my lane as I was about to pass.

I saw it coming, so I braked and backed off. But had I not been eyeing that trailer, I could see that clipping me.

Additionally: I-65 around Birmingham sucks mightily.

Sympathy for your loss, Patrick.

I wonder if, instead of being on her cellphone, she was just another driver clueless about trucks. I have several friends who drive semis or own trucking companies and they've all said car drivers just don't seem to understand that a 40-ton semi cannot stop in the same space that a 1.5 ton automobile can.

They've rammed cars that gave them no choice, run off the road to avoid hitting a car, etc. There's an almost universal contempt in which long haul semi drivers hold automobile drivers.

Animal rights protestors block traffic, local boy fires up the BBQ and hands out hot dogs.

There should be a trophy for this.

I think I've told the story here before about a guy in a rice burner passing a semi up a long hill in southern Tennessee on I-65 and pulling in front just after cresting that hill. I couldn't believe my eyes, braked and flashed my headlights and the semi came over into the passing lane and rocketed past the ricer burner down an equally long downhill.

Physics: how does it work?

CBS White House correspondent Major Garrett doesn’t buy the portrayal of President Trump as an enemy of the media and a chief executive who has eliminated access for journalists.

“He loves us, and he hates us, and he loves us,” he said with a laugh.

“There is more access to this president than there was to Obama. We see him all the time. He takes questions a lot,” Garrett said. “We see him and interact with him and punch in questions with far more frequency than with Obama. Probably more so than for W. Bush,” he added.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/cbs-garrett-more-access-to-trump-than-obama-bush-we-see-him-all-the-time

Hookers...excuse me, escorts cheaper than hookups.

He had to recount the intimate details of an amorous encounter to university administrators, a lawyer, and his parents. And his family shelled out $12,000 in legal fees.

https://reason.com/blog/2018/10/09/uc-davis-title-ix-me-too-sex-hook-up

And he didn't even get past second base.

The women in such cases should be named so men can avoid them

@Patrick,

I'm sorry for your loss.

Airbnb host smashes through window into guest room.

Because that's how you collect cleaning fees at 02:00.

https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/texas-ban-on-throwing-away-food-received-with-praise-outrage?intcmp=ob_article_footer_text&intcmp=obnetwork

I say bag it and deliver it to city hall

You 'compost' it apparently. Over by the mayors house seems like a good place.

Patrick, I'm terribly sorry for your loss. I don't know what seems more cruel: to have someone you love suddenly disappear from your life, or have to watch them suffer through something like stage 4 cancer. Either way, death sucks.

"Additionally: I-65 around Birmingham sucks mightily."

This. Pro tip: Take I-459 to U.S. 280, and go west. It's traffic lights for a few miles, but it usually moves fairly well. Take that to U.S. 31 and go north on the expressway over Red Mountain to I-20/59. Then you go west a couple of miles and get back on I-65. That avoids the worst of it, including that area around Lakeshore Drive where most of the wrecks seem to occur.

Great article. Really thank you! Awesome. Really enjoyed that post. Thanks Again.