In the case of a malfunctioning Goodyear tire alleged to have caused a fatal crash, a federal judge has ruled out foul play in the disappearance of what Goodyear claims is a critical piece of evidence.

U.S. District Chief Judge Joy Flowers Conti of the Western District of Pennsylvania denied the tire maker's request for sanctions against plaintiff Brenda Charcalla, whose husband was killed after a Goodyear tire on his truck came apart, allegedly causing him to crash into a group of trees.

Goodyear claimed that the truck, which sat in a salvage yard as evidence after the accident, was missing the front axel and steer damper; key parts of evidence vital to Goodyear's claims that tire de-treading was not the cause of the fatal accident.