Massive chunk of ice from tractor-trailer smashes through woman's windshield on Pittsburgh highway
A Moon Township mother says she's lucky to be alive after a massive piece of ice flew off a tractor-trailer and crashed through her windshield on the Parkway West. It happened in a split second with the woman's 7-year-old daughter in the backseat.
Madeline Grace says she is haunted by what happened on the Parkway near Robinson, haunted by the sound of the breaking glass, the fear of losing control of the car and the terror of hearing her daughter cry.
"Every time I close my eyes, I see that chunk of ice coming at me," Grace said.
Grace was driving on the Parkway West Saturday morning when a large sheet of ice flew off a tractor-trailer on the opposite side of the highway and crashed straight through her windshield. Pictures show the windshield shattered, glass blown inward, the damage concentrated right where Grace was sitting behind the wheel.
Ice and glass struck her face while her 7-year-old watched from the backseat.
"I just remember seeing that ice coming through the air like this, like flipping over and over," Grace said. "I just remember thinking there wasn't time to do anything."
"Just so grateful that I blocked that from going in the backseat and hitting my daughter."
Grace was rushed to the hospital with multiple facial fractures. Doctors aren't certain what her recovery looks like right now, but they're hopeful she'll regain full sight in her right eye.
Her daughter was not physically hurt, but Grace says the emotional impact became clear once they talked about what happened.
"She told me, she's like, 'worst day ever, Mommy.' I said, 'yeah, it was pretty rough for me too, baby.' Overall, she's handling it really well," Grace said.
Pennsylvania law requires drivers to clear snow and ice from their vehicles, but Grace says laws don't matter if they're ignored. She hopes her story makes people think twice and clear the snow and ice before they hit the road. She says she understands clearing snow from large trucks isn't easy, but that's not an excuse when lives are at risk.
"I have more sympathy for the people that are driving, minding their own business, had zero choice in the matter, and are now injured, possibly permanently," Grace said.
State police are trying to track down the truck that the ice came from and are asking anyone who might have been in this area Saturday morning around 10 to check their dash cams.
