She was incredibly lucky, as police calculated the rock was moving at close to 100 mph when hit struck her vehicle. Of course, if the rock had hit any part of her body besides her hand, the outcome would have been far worse. Instead of a damaged vehicle and an injured hand, her name would like to have been added to the list of fatalities from car accidents in Georgia this year.
The rock it the windscreen so hard it pulverized the glass to dust, some of which was in her mouth after the collision. She was fortunate to have worn her sunglasses that day, as they protected her eyes from the glass dust.
Police are still looking for the dump truck, as she was unable to identify it. It is likely the truck driver carrying the rock was negligent and had failed to properly secure the load.
Trucks in Georgia are required to adequately secure loose loads like rock to prevent just this type of accident. In this case, it may be difficult to locate the truck unless an eyewitness saw the crash and remembers the truck.
If your accident occurs on a road with traffic cameras or surveillance cameras, it may be possible to retrieve images that would help identify the negligent truck.
Source: WSBTV.com, “Rock flies off truck, nearly killing driver,” Mike Petchenik, October 31, 2013
