FRIENDSWOOD, Texas — Gage Martin feels blessed to be alive. The Friendswood woman was nearly killed as she drove along I-45 on Sunday when a large drill pipe came crashing through her windshield.
The pipe came within inches of seriously hurting or killing Martin.
"It happened in a split second," Martin said.
She had just dropped off her daughter after seeing "The Nutcracker" in the city. As she traveled down I-45 just outside the 610 Loop, she spotted the flying debris.
"It was absolutely harrowing," said Martin. "Next thing I knew it was like a whoosh sound and my windshield exploded."
The aftermath is unbelievable.
"There was glass everywhere, I could even taste it in my mouth," said Martin. "I think God took over at that point and I managed to cross two lanes and reach the right shoulder."
She called her son and 911 for help. Photos snapped immediately after capture how close the drill pipe came to Martin. A good Samaritan who stopped to help couldn't believe she was left untouched.
"That's when I realized how close I came," Martin said. "He told me I expected to see something awful."
Martin says Houston Police told her flying debris is a daily hazard on Houston highways.
"That sort of tripled my terror," Martin said.
So now she has a message for all Houston drivers.
"Make sure everything is safely secured on that truck or van, nothing that can fly off," Martin said.
For now, she won't be driving on any Houston freeway, still very much in shock with what happened and grateful it wasn't any worse.
"I just put it in God's loving hands and count it as a special Christmas miracle this year that I can be put my husband and family," said Martin.
AAA says most of these incidents happen because people fail to correctly secure their load. Experts are pleading with folks to double check before hitting the road for the holidays.