It's cringe-worthy and will take a chunk out of your wallet, getting a rock to the windshield is no fun. There are a few things you can do to ensure you have the best opportunity to get reimbursed.
Mother of two, Joan Sutton was driving on I-8 at 12:06 p.m. Tuesday, "I'm on the way to the Costco, I took the freeway instead of the back roads, because I was in a hurry to pick up my kids."
Then, CLAP! A rock the size of a baseball smacks her windshield.
"I need to hide because I was scared!" Sutton said, reenacting how she crouched down and threw one hand in front of her face, fearing for her safety. The entire time she kept one hand steady on the wheel to keep her from crashing.
That moment may cost her family $400. They have to completely replace her windshield, with the new large circular crack right in front of her driver's seat.
She's thankful her 13 and 11-year-old weren't in the car with her.
"Glad I was alone, but every time I saw that crack I'm still scared," Sutton said.
It's something California Highway Patrol sees all the time, even though there are laws and a small citation encouraging companies to secure their truck's loads.
To try to get the company to pay for your repairs, take down the license plate number of the truck, note the date, time and location of the accident. Then report it to your local CHP office and insurance company.
Depending on your insurance policy and how much damage there is, you may have to pay out of pocket.
For now, Sutton says she has to keep driving, even though she's pretty shaken, "yeah because I have two kids, they're not you know big, and one of my sons has autism, yeah so I need to be brave."
She and her husband, Frank, are filing a counter report with the CHP, after the fact to try and get reimbursed for the windshield they're getting fixed on Saturday.
10News reached out to the trucking company Friday with no answer.
- Fun Fact: The only thing any vehicle is allowed to drop on the road is water and chicken feathers, according to the CHP.
