A mum says she 'narrowly avoided a gruesome death' when a four-inch metal bolt smashed through her windscreen and embedded in her headrest as she was driving on an A-road. Carla Wood was driving along the A639 on Doncaster Road on June 24 after a yoga class when she saw a large lorry 'bouncing' down the road towards her.
The 59-year-old said a bolt from the lorry smashed through her windscreen onto her headrest, just millimetres from her head. The metal missile showered Carla's face and arms in broken windscreen glass, leaving the mum-of-one with bleeding cuts.
Carla insists she would've died if the bolt had struck her, describing it as a 'wake-up call' to live her life to the fullest. The retired sales co-ordinator says the lorry driver 'sped off' without knowing a piece of his vehicle had crashed into her Mini.
Late Daughter's Intervention
Carla credits her late daughter Chloe Wood for saving her life. She believes the 18-year-old, who died in 2010, 'pulled' her mum inches to the left to protect her from the metal object.
Carla, who lives near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, said: 'I'd been to yoga so I was very zenned out and was on my way back home on the road I normally go on. It can be a busy road but at that time it was just me and the lorry. He was coming towards me. He was going at great speed, about 70mph, and the road itself is quite bumpy. He had come around the bend and I could see the vehicle was bouncing. Something made me slow down.'
'I had the roof down on my car and I could see something hurtling through the air. I was kind of watching it in slow motion. Then something, which I do believe was my daughter Chloe who passed away 16 years ago, told me to go to the left. I definitely believe in another world and we're just vessels here. I believe she was in the car pulling me to the left, I felt like a force. The normal reaction would've been to go to the right.'
'Next thing the vehicle had gone past and there was a loud noise and glass had shattered everywhere. I couldn't believe he didn't stop but I do believe, and I'm hoping, that he didn't know that he caused that damage.'
Discovery of the Bolt
It was only when Carla pulled over that she realised a four-inch metal bolt had crashed through her windscreen and gone into her headrest - just millimetres from her head. Luckily, the mum was left with just superficial cuts in her mouth, face and arms and said the accident has made her realise how precious life is.
Carla said: 'This van stopped and when I got out of the car he said 'oh my goodness'. He was looking at my headrest and it was dented full of the rusty bolt. It was millimetres away from me. It bounced and went onto my seat. I thought it was a stone or something, it was a brass 10cm bolt.'
'If it had hit my head I think I would've died, it doesn't bear thinking about. I'm so fortunate to be here. I thought I'd be okay when the time came but [it made me realise] how precious my life is and I've got a lot of life in me. It makes you realise I'm not ready to go yet. It's a wake-up call to live every day to its fullest.'
Police Investigation
South Yorkshire Police attended but, as Carla didn't see the registration plate, were unable to track the driver down. South Yorkshire Police has been contacted for comment.
