Tom Arrington was killed on October 1st, 2021 the first day of a 3 week New England vacation. We were traveling on I 95N when I noticed an object hit the pavement in the lane to our right, bounce, and fly left, towards us. I later learned this was a concrete screed, a tool used to level wet concrete. Time stopped waiting for the inevitable impact. I felt the vehicle slow and come to a stop. As I opened my eyes I saw a small oval hole and noted the steering wheel was severed. Miraculously we had stopped centered in our lane involving no other vehicles. I quickly called 911 fearing being stopped on such a busy road may lead to more crashes. Then, I realized that Tom was not moving or responding to me. I took his pulse, with no results. I told the dispatcher that my husband was unconscious, and we needed help.
The screed had pierced the windshield much like a spear, sliced through the steering wheel, and impaled Tom in the face and neck, cutting through the mandible, his spinal cord and severing three vertebrae. Tom had died at the crash site. I was uninjured except for the glass in my mouth and eyes. This crash was caused by someone not properly tying their load down. The driver of a local construction and landscaping company was enroute to a job site when the screed flew out of his dump truck. A lack of attention to safety protocol senselessly took the life of another human being. There is no excuse or explanation that can make this incident anything other than completely human error and totally avoidable. This life changing experience has inspired me to become better informed about road safety and work for safer streets for all people.
Tom was a great dad who spent untold hours getting his kids to all the places they needed or wanted to be at when they were kids. In their adult years, he worked on their house to make it a better home for them. Yes, our 2 adult kids live together. He was Mr. Fixit; repairing cars, dishwashers, roofs, whatever needed done. He didn't know there were professionals for those tasks. Tom spent as much time as possible playing with our grandkids. Professionally, Tom was a vocational teacher, as grandpa and dad he was a life skills teacher. Tom enjoyed teaching others how to do things; how to use their hands. Tom found pleasure in using those skills to help others. He was always available to help a neighbor, a friend, or someone else's friend when a job or repair needed done. Tom could also sit all day long watching TV. He liked old westerns, ridiculous adventure movies, and old comedies. He was pretty easy to keep happy.
I miss him every day.
His Wife Sherri
