Riverside County woman pregnant with twins survives after bar falls off truck and pierces her windshield on I-15
A Riverside County woman who is pregnant with twins escaped with minor injuries after a metal bar fell off a truck and pierced her windshield on the 15 Freeway last week.
In a news release shared on social media by the California Highway Patrol's Temecula Office, police said that the woman was driving on northbound lanes of the freeway, just south of Winchester Road, when "a metal bar that had fallen from a truck ahead penetrated" her van's windshield and "struck her in the abdomen."
"In what can only be described as a miracle, the woman sustained only minor injuries, and the twins are reported to be fine," CHP officers said.
Additional details remain undisclosed, but CHP Officer Brian Seel spoke with CBS LA about the incident almost a week after it happened, saying that the woman's motherly instincts kicked into gear immediately.
"Luckily, I think the windshield slowed it down just enough that it wasn't able to cause major injuries and who knows, even worse," Seel said. "Being pregnant at the time, fear had to be going through her mind. She drove directly to the hospital. Luckily, she was one exit from the hospital. ... Only minor injuries to her, and I don't believe the twins had any injuries at all. So, very lucky."
CHP officers took the chance to remind drivers that unsecured loads contribute to thousands of crashes every year and result in deaths and injuries.
"A simple metal bar became a high-speed projectile — a stark reminder that what isn't properly secured can turn deadly in an instant," the post said.
Seel said that professional drivers and people driving regular pickup trucks should make sure they're always securing things in their truck beds.
"You wouldn't think a metal bar could become dislodged and fly off your vehicle, you have to make sure all your stuffs tied down. It could become a deadly object on that freeway," he said.
CHP officers said that the metal bar had no identifying information and that thus far, they haven't been able to find the driver who it belonged to. They're still looking for a witness or someone who may have had dash camera of the incident so they can track them down.
