Arizona driver nearly impaled after metal pole crashes through her windshield: report
The driver and Arizona public safety officials pleaded with motorists to secure all loose items loaded onto their cars and trucks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mandy Poff of Arizona says she hasn’t been able to sleep since a metal pole came crashing through the windshield of her SUV on Thursday morning, narrowly missing her as it pierced the back seat of her vehicle.
Poff says the mishap occurred while she was merging her vehicle onto Highway 51 in Mesa. The pole had popped off the back of a passing truck after it hit a bump in the road, FOX 10 of Phoenix reported.
She saw the four-foot-long piece of metal coming at her – but claims there was nothing she could do to avoid it.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It kind of bounced on the road and flipped up straight through the windshield by my face," Poff told FOX 10. "Went up and lodged itself into my car and into my back seat.
"It went right by my face," she continued. "It was terrifying."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A metal pole is seen extending into the rear seat of Mandy Poff's vehicle. (Arizona Department of Public Safety)
Photos posted on social media by the Arizona Department of Public Safety show a big hole in the windshield of Poff’s vehicle, and the metal pole jabbed into the center portion of her vehicle’s rear seat.
"It was flying literally, like, in the air like a missile," Poff continued, according to FOX 10.
The drive says she was startled but still managed to pull over safely. After stopping her vehicle, she brushed away shards of windshield glass from her body – only to be relieved that the pole had missed her and she suffered no serious injuries.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}WYOMING RANCHER PINNED BY ATV SURVIVES ON BEER, WATER 2 DAYS
A police officer who arrived on the scene also couldn’t believe she was OK, she told FOX 10.
"I can’t believe you’re still alive," Poff recalls the officer telling her. "I can’t believe this happened."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Driver Mandy Poff's vehicle is seen after Thursday's highway mishap, in which a metal pole from a passing truck crashed through her vehicle's windshield. The truck driver hasn't yet been located, authorities say. (Arizona Department of Public Safety)
The accident, however, has left her jittery, she told the station.
"I can’t sleep," she told FOX 10. "I’m terrified to be in a car."
The driver claims she has an additional problem: The truck driver drove off, so she has had some trouble putting together her insurance claim, she told FOX 10.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Nevertheless, Poff told the station she won’t let the ordeal keep her off the road. She also shared some wise advice to her fellow motorists.
She asked every driver to make sure any items loaded onto their cars or trucks are securely fastened to prevent similar mishaps on the road.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In its Facebook post, the Arizona Department of Public Safety shared the same advice.