LEXINGTON, Mass. — Getting around New England Friday after a messy winter storm was not easy for some drivers. Multiple drivers reported getting hit by snow and ice flying off cars that were not properly cleared before leaving home.
Lexington Fire Chief Derek Sencabaugh believes if he hadn’t swerved at the last second, he could have been severely injured by a flying piece of ice.
“If that ice hit me on the driver’s side [of the windshield], I wouldn’t have been able to see and I could have ended up in a serious accident,” Sencabaugh said.
Sencabaugh was driving southbound on Interstate 95 near the Burlington-Lexington line Friday morning when a large chunk of ice came off the sedan in front of his truck. Lexington Firefighters Local 1491 posted a picture of the shattered windshield that is nearly impossible to see through.
“Just before it hit, I slowly kind of moved my car to the left as much as I could, then the ice impacted the passenger side [of the glass],” Sencabaugh said. “The magnitude of [impact], the ice was just solid and dense. It sounded like getting hit with a pile of wood.”
Mass State Police spokesperson David Procopio said there were “many instances” of snow and ice flying off vehicles Friday, including an incident that shattered a windshield in Lynnfield and another on 128 near Boston. Massachusetts drivers can be cited for unsafe operation of a vehicle and driving with an unsecured load, with fines up to $200.
“We’re just trying to remind people to take those few extra minutes to clean off your roof and windshield. It doesn’t just affect you, it affects the people behind you, your friends and family, even your fire chief,” Sencabaugh said.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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