The photo is unmistakable: it shows the tire that was on Raphael Blais’ car last week. The problem is that some key parts are missing — the lug nuts that fasten the tire were suddenly gone. Blais says his partner noticed the issue just before getting on the highway. “It was making a lot of noise,” Blais said. “[The car] started to shake.” The resident of Sainte-Etienne-Des-Grès, Que., near Shawinigan, says he switched cars with his partner, avoided the highway himself, and eventually realized one tire was missing lug nuts. “It was a good idea to not take the highway because I probably wouldn’t be here today,” Blais said. Shaken by the incident, he posted his experience on Facebook. That’s when he learned about the Lug Nut Challenge that circulated on TikTok years ago. Blais says it’s possible he and others may be victims of that challenge. His mechanic told him the lug nuts on his car were removed manually, and he says people from across the province have since contacted him with similar stories. “It’s not a funny situation,” Blais said. André Durocher, a spokesperson for CAA-Quebec, says that when he was a Montreal police officer, he was aware of cases linked to the Lug Nut Challenge. “People think it may be funny — ‘Ah, somebody is going to lose a wheel.’ First of all there’s damage, so people will have physical damage on their car, but lives are at risk,” Durocher said. He says a simple once-over before driving could help. “We always say that you should have a quick look around your vehicle when you get into it. Most people don’t,” Durocher said. Blais has filed a police complaint. When asked about the Lug Nut Challenge, the Sûreté du Québec said that “if it is determined that the act was intentional or a prank, it could constitute a criminal offence of mischief or a charge of criminal negligence.”
