Chunk of concrete falls from bridge, shattering car’s windshield, Missouri man says

A Missouri man was driving to work when a chunk of concrete crashed into his car, according to local media reports.

“Something just shattered my windshield,” Steve Yarber recalled to KTVI.

He said he was on his morning commute on Thursday, Jan. 20 — traveling from St. Peters to St. Louis County on state Highway 370 — when the chunk struck his car hood and then bounced into his windshield, KMOV reported. He was driving on an underpass at the time.

“I’m thankful that it hit the hood first because if it hit the glass (first), it may have come through and I might not be standing here today,” Yarber told KTVI.

He drove off the highway and says he reported the incident to Bridgeton police and Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to “make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” KMOV reported.

MoDOT confirmed to McClatchy News that its crews were called to the area immediately after receiving the report.

“The investigation is ongoing,” a spokesperson said. “This process could take a few weeks to complete.”

MoDOT maintains about 10,400 bridges on the state system, according to its website. The average age of bridges the department maintains is 48 years, and most were designed to last 50 to 60 years.

“Sixty percent of Missouri’s bridges are beyond their original intended life,” the department said.

The state says 837 bridges are rated as “poor” when using criteria set by the Federal Highway Administration, and the department said it works to reduce that number as state and federal revenue is available.

The overpass in question is not listed as “poor” as of the incident, according to KTVI.

“All bridges are inspected regularly in accordance with federal law, typically every two years,” according to MoDOT. “If a bridge has known problems, it is inspected more frequently. If a bridge is open to traffic it is safe; however, as our bridges age and deteriorate, we are having to close them more often.”

This story was originally published January 25, 2022 at 10:58 AM.