This crap happens all the time around the Charleston, SC metro. People lose ladders, wheelbarrows, AN ENTIRE FREAKING SHED, dressers, mattresses, etc. SCDOT takes forever to clean them up, too. The trucks around here, and the halfassery that goes on with people loading open trailers, makes it a dangerous environment to drive in!I had to swerve to avoid a rapidly dissasembling 2 stage aluminum ladder tonight. I was on I-275 in St Petersburg.
Nothing surprises me anymore on our roads. I have seen a 4X8ft plywood sheet come off a semi in front me, a friend was killed avoiding a full size sofa, and there was a little girl impaled by a section of rebar that came up thru the floor of her mother's car after she ran over it.
My rule is no tailgating ever if you are moving more than 20 mph. Give youself time to see what is in the road. I learned this in my 45 years of motorcycling.
To the OP: you were lucky it could have bounced up and punctured the oil pan.
I'll find out when I pick up the car! Looked to be 9/16", but wasn't marked on the shank...is it 10mm at least?