Ottawa driver barely escapes injury after flying ice smashes windshield

Flying ice smashes windshield An Ottawa man escaped injury after a chunk of ice slammed into his windshield while driving on Highway 417. CTV's Tyler Fleming reports.

An Ottawa commercial truck driver says he narrowly escaped serious injury after flying ice smashed into his windshield on the highway.

On Monday morning, while driving eastbound on Highway 417, Daryl Weiland came face-to-face with a terrifying scene and a potentially deadly situation, when a massive chunk of heavy ice came soaring at his truck.

“There’s a little dip in the road and the truck in front of me hit the bump and the bump loosened off the material," he said. "And I got to meet the material."

Weiland said he didn't actually see the ice leave the roof of the truck; he only saw it mid-flight.

"You put your head down and you don’t have time to say 'This is it' ... 'You’re thinking in a microsecond and then all of a sudden it’s hit and you’re still there."

Weiland’s dashcam video recorded the entire event and he says after the ice rammed into the windshield, both panes shattered, leaving him covered in glass.

“I just pulled over to the side, called my supervisor and let them know what was going on and they asked if I was okay,” says Weiland. “I guess there was some ice that had frozen there over the weekend, with the warm and the cold and stuff like that … I was a little shaken but it didn’t really dawn on me exactly until once I got home later on.”

Ottawa police Const. Mike Cudrasov says situations like this occur throughout the winter. But at this time of year, loose and fluffy snow in warmer weather can quickly turn to ice when the temperature drops at night. He says no matter the conditions, motorists are responsible for ensuring their vehicle is cleared off before driving on the road.

“If that ice hits the car in back of you, it can cause a collision, you can cause injuries to someone else in another vehicle and you can obviously injure pedestrians,” says Cudrasov. “And at higher speeds, the ice can pick up really quick, hitting a windshield can cause serious injuries.”

Police take flying ice seriously and can ticket motorists. A snow-covered vehicle where the windshield or side windows or taillights are obstructed can cost $110. Ice or debris will fetch a $130 infraction. For commercial vehicles, the fine is triple that.

“But Mother Nature can be responsible for a lot of things too … I don’t blame the driver," Weiland said. "These are these are things that you know when you drive a commercial equipment or any kind of vehicle, there can be these cycles in the year where you got freeze and thaw.

Weiland said he's thankful no one was hurt in the incident and that his video should be a reminder for all drivers to be cautious on the road.

“Take the time to think: You know what? Maybe this is a situation where you need to think ahead and be leery of the conditions around you."