Flying Axe Strikes Car Windshield

Axe flew from back of dump truck traveling on highway

Motorists traveling on I-95 South in Topsfield, Massachusetts, endured a frightening moment Wednesday morning when an axe suddenly struck their vehicle.

A landscaper driving a dump truck had failed to properly secure an axe, accidentally leaving it on his hood.

The axe came loose when the truck reached highway speed. It flew from the hood and became lodged in the windshield of a car traveling behind it. It nearly impaled the passenger traveling in the car.

"Upon arrival, I found the axe was still through the windshield," said said Lt. Joe Risteen of the Massachusetts State Police. "The driver of the SUV said they saw debris coming very quickly and didn't have time to avoid it."

The female passenger sat terrified in her seat after it all happened, with an axe lodged in the glass just inches from her face. She was covered in glass.

"She was very shaken up. I asked her if she was injured, she said she wasn't," said Lt. Risteen.

The truck driver was cited for the failure to secure cargo, which carries a $200 fine.

State police say the axe would have completely penetrated the windshield if the car had been driving any faster.

Risteen credited the passenger's husband with traveling the speed limit. He says this near disaster should serve as a warning to drivers.

"Make sure any cargo on the vehicle is properly secured," said Risteen.

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