Florida driver recounts horrific near miss with flying metal debris

DORAL, Fla — A routine morning commute turned into a horrific ordeal last week when a large piece of metal debris, believed to be part of a truck, flew through the windshield of a car on the Florida Turnpike near Doral, narrowly missing the driver and then smashing through the rear window and hit another vehicle.

The incident occurred last Wednesday as Don Pham, who was driving south on the Turnpike, was on his way to work.

He said the day started like any other until the piece of metal crashed through his car, spraying shattered glass across his face, mouth and hair.

Pham immediately stopped near the 74th Street exit after noticing something smashed through his front and rear windshields.

“All of a sudden I heard a bang and glass was all over my face, in my mouth and in my hair,” Pham said. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, did I get shot?’ Was it a bullet? Was it some kind of shotgun?’”

As Pham got out of his car, he saw the debris stuck in the windshield of the second car. The metal part of the truck had flown through his vehicle and landed on the passenger side of the second car, which had also pulled over to the side of the road.

“I leaned my shoulder, my arm in the middle of the console,” Pham recalled. “I don’t know how it’s barely possible to get through without meeting me. I was shocked then. Then I thought, ‘Oh my God, I almost died.'”

According to authorities, the driver of the second car was also uninjured, although the projectile caused significant damage to both vehicles. Pham, still visibly shaken, recognized the gravity of the close call as he recounted the event.

“We were lucky that no one was in the passenger seat because that could have had very devastating consequences.”

Both drivers called authorities and officers responded to the scene. Despite the significant damage, none of the drivers were injured.

The wrench appeared to be the only piece of debris involved in the incident, but it’s still unclear where the metal came from and how it ended up flying through the air on the highway.

Local 10 News obtained exclusive video footage from the aftermath that shows both damaged vehicles stopped on the highway.

“You know, what do you think of it in hindsight?” Local 10’s Christian De La Rosa asked.

“It wasn’t my time. Maybe my job is to tell you how precious life is and that you have to live every moment,” Pham said.

Authorities are still investigating where the part may have come from, but no leads have emerged. Pham hopes his story will encourage others to be more careful about securing items in their vehicles, especially on busy highways.

“It’s something people don’t always think about,” Pham said. “But a loose object can really be the difference between life and death.”

No one was injured in the incident, but it was a stark reminder of the unpredictable dangers on the road.

The Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate how the metal piece ended up on the roadway.