Valhalla Man Survives After Slab Of Ice Crashes Through Windshield On Tappan Zee Bridge

VALHALLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Westchester County driver had a close call with some dangerous ice.

It started as a routine trip Rockland-bound, said 23-year-old Frank Kopicki, of Valhalla.

"I was driving on the left lane of the Tappan Zee Bridge. An 18-wheeler was in front of me in the center lane," he said.

But glancing up at the roof of the big rig, Kopicki saw a sign of trouble, WCBS 880's Jim Smith reported.

"I started seeing little pieces of ice come off," he recalled.

And in an instant, Kopicki said a foot-long slab of ice went flying and smashed through his windshield.

"I'm assuming that the ice hit the glass; the glass then hit my forehead," he said.

Despite blood gushing from his head, Kopicki was able to stop without causing a major wreck. He was taken to Nyack Hospital in Nyack, where he said he needed up to 22 stitches.

"The cut is deep; it's like 2 inches long about a half inch wide, at least," he said.

But he's thankful it wasn't worse and no one else got hurt.