Tuesday morning’s commute took a terrifying turn for a woman driving on the Capital Beltway’s Outer Loop when a piece of metal debris flew through her windshield and nearly impaled her.
Initially, Montgomery County, Maryland, fire personnel said the driver was impaled through her chest with a metal, stake-like object. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer said later that further assessment revealed she was not impaled and only sustained minor, impact-related wounds.
Police and first responders were dispatched to the Outer Loop between Md. Route 355 and Connecticut Avenue around 6:15 a.m. They found a woman trapped in a minivan, where the windshield and steering wheel had been pierced with a metal object 3 feet long and 4 inches wide.
Aerial footage from WTOP’s news partner NBC Washington showed rescue workers using hydraulic equipment and a buzzsaw to break through the wreckage, shielding the woman from sparks and providing life support, before she was freed and transported to a trauma center.
As of 8 a.m., the woman’s condition was considered serious but stable.
VIDEO: An absolutely terrifying scene on the capital beltway this morning, and every driver’s worst nightmare. An object penetrated the windshield of a minivan, through the steering wheel, and impaled the driver. #mdtraffic #BREAKINGNEWS @nbcwashington @First4Traffic pic.twitter.com/DxcCtj90b4
— Brad Freitas (@Chopper4Brad) November 26, 2019
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