It was a scary scene on I-95 Friday in Boca Raton. Troopers said a piece of debris flew through a windshield and hit the driver.
Paramedics rushed Holden Amory, 22, to Delray Medical Center. He is in critical condition.
Florida Highway Patrol said a car kicked up a piece of debris in the southbound lanes near the Boca Raton-Deerfield Beach line at about 10:55 a.m. The debris first hit a sedan, then pierced the windshield of Amory’s BMW convertible.
“The guy is lucky,” said Pat Elia, from Westway Towing, “That’s the second time in 10 years I’ve seen debris go through a car like that.”
It appears part of a wheel hit Amory.
Jim Choban has heard horror stories like today’s. He works for the Safety Council of Palm Beach County teaching driver’s education in public high schools.
We asked him to take us for a ride and share tips on how to handle the tire, box or whatever might pop up on the highway.
“Number one, you can’t be distracted on the road,” he said. “Otherwise, you’re going to miss whatever is up ahead of you.”
Choban said focusing on the brake lights of the cars in front of you gives you more time to react. But it’s important not to overreact.
Just as important is knowing what’s around you, in case you need to change lanes quickly.
“Look to your blind side and see if there are cars to the left or right of you every ten seconds or so,” Choban explained.
He said you shouldn’t assume a cardboard box is empty, or you have enough clearance to drive over something. The safe move is to drive around the debris, when possible.
