Much as I hate to admit it, I think I know what happened here. There are times when the coupler just won't let go of the ball. You tweak the tow vehicle forward a bit, then back a bit, and you still can't lift the latch. Out of frustration, you grab a pry bar and "convince" the latch handle to lift.
BAD IDEA. It breaks stuff in the coupler.
In my experience, when this happens, the best bet is to crank the jack so that it is lifting the hitch ball just a bit - but not a lot. If the jack is too high, and lifting a lot of tow vehicle weight, the coupler parts may be unable to slide. Then, with the jack height adjusted, again jig the tow vehicle back and forth a bit - no more than an inch - while you try to lift the coupler latch. Of course, don't bend the jack stem while you do it.
Later, when the trailer is disconnected, it helps to get down on your knees and peer up into the ball cup while you work the latch up and down. This lets you see what the coupler is trying to do when you lift the latch. And don't forget to grease the hitch ball when you hitch up. That helps too..
Bill
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