EXCLUSIVE: DOT Investigating After Giant 'Rock' Crashes Down Onto Windshield
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Department of Transportation is investigating a mystery on the Cross Island Parkway.
An innocent driver had a brush with death after a massive chunk of concrete came crashing through her windshield.
"A rock came through the window and hit me," Mount Vernon resident Andrea Stephens told CBS 2's Dave Carlin exclusively on Friday.
That rock left Stephens' windshield shattered and her arm battered.
"I saw the rock coming, I was able to duck and by me ducking, it hit me on the arm and I had to maintain control of my car," Stephens said.
She said it came off the overpass as she was heading to John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The flying object halted her Thursday morning travel plans and caused her to miss an early morning flight to Jamaica.
"The ambulance came, the police came. I went to the hospital because they decided I needed stitches," Stephens said.
Grainne Ferris said she could see the mess from the steps of her home near Parkway Exit 27E.
Police have three theories:
*The rock came off a truck hauling debris.
*It broke free from a storm-damaged section of road or bridge.
*It was intentionally thrown by someone who managed to clear a high fence.
"It's too high for someone to stand up on to throw something over there," Ferris said.
Tow truck operators from a Queens auto shop think it's odd they responded to at least two flat tire calls and a separate roll-over accident the very same morning, in the same area between exits 26 and 27.
"You have to watch when you're driving. You have to pay attention to what's going on. If I wasn't paying attention, it would have been a lot worse," Stephens said. "I'm happy to be alive, happy to be okay. No broken bones. Heading to Jamaica now."
The Department of Transportation is looking into the incident.
The investigation will include checking the roadways and overpasses, making sure they are firmly in tact.
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