TEMECULA, Calif. (KABC) — In what authorities described as a “miraculous close call,” a pregnant woman and her unborn twins escaped injury last week when an errant metal bar slammed through the windshield of the cargo van she was driving on the 15 Freeway in Temecula.
The incident occurred about 2:15 p.m. on July 1 as the driver was heading northbound on the freeway, just south of Winchester Road, in the second-to-right lane, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The metal bar fell from a truck in front of the cargo van and pierced the windshield, striking the woman in abdomen, the CHP said Monday in a news release.
“In what can only be described as a miracle, the woman sustained only minor injuries, and the twins are reported to be fine,” the statement said. How far along the woman was in her pregnancy was not disclosed.
The Highway Patrol noted that unsecured loads contribute to thousands of crashes annually, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries nationwide.
“Road debris from vehicles causes over 200,000 crashes in just a few years in the U.S. alone,” the CHP statement said. “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 agency urged drivers to double-check their cargo, use appropriate tie-downs, “and secure everything before hitting the road. It could save lives – including those of expectant mothers and their precious cargo.”
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