Missouri woman, newborn nearly crushed after metal plate tie falls from train bridge

(KTVI/FOX 2 Now)

PEVELY, Mo. – A mother and her newborn had a brush with death after a piece of metal falls from a train overpass as they drove underneath.

The track and trellis, located along Highway Z in Pevely, belongs to Burlington Northern Santa Fe. A spokesperson said it’s quite rare for a metal plate tie to fall from the track. They're investigating the situation and working with the family to cover all the damages.

Trains pass over the trellis several times a day and Mindy Damico said she always drives beneath the trellis on her way to her parents' house.

"I felt the vibration of the train, I felt it going over; then I hear something pop," she said.

Damico said she couldn't tell what it was so she pulled over to check it out.

"I got out of the car and realized that my preemie infant was in the back and started screaming because there was glass all over her,” she said.

A near 40-pound metal base plate came off the track, smashed Damico’s back window and tore holes in the roof right above her baby's car seat.

"I'm just in shock. I can't even function, really," she said.

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