Pregnant Woman Has Scary Close Call on Freeway

A freeway scare in Southern California ended with an outcome that authorities are calling remarkable. Citing the California Highway Patrol, KTLA and Patch report that a pregnant woman carrying twins was driving north on Interstate 15 near Temecula on Wednesday when a metal bar that had tumbled off a truck shot through her Ram ProMaster's windshield and struck her in the abdomen. She suffered only minor injuries, and her twins are "reported to be fine," per the CHP.

"The situation could've turned tragic in an instant," notes KGET. The driver of the truck didn't stop, according to the law enforcement agency, per Patch. Photos show the cracked windshield where the bar went through, with shattered glass pieces evident on the dashboard, per KTLA. CHP used the incident to press drivers to secure their loads, warning that loose items can turn into "high-speed projectile[s]." The agency says debris-related crashes cause hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries nationwide each year.