Unsecured plywood flies off truck on I-10, shatters mother’s windshield

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - Karla Herrera, a Twentynine Palms mother, is speaking out after she said unsecured plywood flew off a truck on Interstate 10 and slammed into her vehicle, shattering her windshield while her infant daughter sat in the back seat.

She said the incident happened Tuesday night around 8:45 p.m. on I-10 westbound, about a quarter mile from Date Palm Drive.

“It was literally like a horror movie,” Herrera said.

She said she was driving home with her husband following behind her in a separate vehicle when several boards of plywood flew off a white truck traveling in the far-left lane.

Herrera said the truck carrying the plywood did not stop.

At least 4 boards were lifted by the wind and she said they went flying across lanes.

"It wasn't like I was tailgating anyone," Herrera said. "It was just really a freak accident."

She said she braced for impact as the plywood struck her windshield, sending glass into her hair and face.

Despite the violent collision, she and her 8-month-old daughter were not injured.

“My daughter was in the back seat and she’s completely fine,” Herrera said. “Just a little traumatized.”

Photos show extensive windshield damage and debris inside the vehicle. Herrera credits the truck’s tinted windows with preventing more serious injuries.

She filed a report with the California Highway Patrol. She said she hopes the driver is identified but said her larger goal is preventing this from happening to someone else.

“It only takes an additional five minutes to strap things down,” she said. “You could be saving someone’s life.”

Herrera is now working with her insurance company to repair the damage, paying a $500 deductible out of pocket.

CHP urges drivers hauling items such as plywood to properly secure their loads before traveling on freeways.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the full story at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.