Unsecured piece of metal crashes through driver's windshield on I-494

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. (KMSP) - The Minnesota State Patrol is reminding drivers to secure their loads after a 38-year-old woman narrowly avoided being killed by a piece of metal that flew off the back of a truck on Interstate 494 last week. 

According to State Patrol, the woman was driving northbound on I-494 near I-94 in Maple Grove, Minnesota when a piece of metal flew off a nearby truck, bounded of the interstate and went through her windshield on the driver’s side.

She suffered a few minor cuts. The driver of the other vehicle was not located. 

State Patrol advises motorists to make sure anything they are transporting is properly secured. Motorists should use ratchet straps or toe straps to make sure their item is secure. Twine and bungie cords are too weak and have too much give to keep loads secure. 

If motorists are following a questionable load, safety experts advise them to enough space – at least three seconds – between their vehicle and a tipsy load.