Terrifying moment plank of wood smashes into car windscreen at 70mph – but the driver escapes with just a broken arm
- Wayne Spillett was driving to Hull for a job interview when the plank hit his car
- The plank smashed his windscreen and broke his right-hand arm
- A witness pulled over with Wayne afterwards and helped him call an ambulance
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
A man was driving to a job interview when a plank of wood flew off the back of a van, driving at 70mph, smashing his windscreen and breaking his arm.
Wayne Spillett was driving to Hull for a job interview when the accident happened on the A15 near Barton.
Wayne was overtaking a car when the plank came flying off the van into his windscreen.
He shouted in pain and the windscreen cracked from side-to-side.
With his right arm broken Wayne had to use only his left arm to pull over where a witness joined him, took a photo of his car for him and called an ambulance.
‘I tried to lift my right arm to help steer the car and I realised that I couldn’t move it, so I had to use my left arm to steer the car to the side of the road and pull over safely,’ said Wayne.
After Wayne Spillett pulled over for a van to pass him while he was overtaking a car a plank of wood came flying off it at 70mph and smashed his windscreen, on the A15 near Barton
The footage shows the corner of the windscreen smashed and a crack going from side-to-side while viewers hear Wayne shout in pain as he drives further before pulling over
Wayne (pictured) was on his way to a job interview that he had to cancel because of the accident
The ambulance took Wayne to Grimsby’s Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital where his arm was put in a cast which he has to wear for the next six weeks.
Wayne said: ‘At the time I was just annoyed to be honest, but after I calmed down and had been treated at the hospital, I realised just how lucky I was to get out of it alive.
‘I am really shocked looking back, if it had hit lower in the windscreen I could have been killed. I’ve definitely got eight lives left now. Thankfully, it hit the corner of the windscreen, but it was still terrifying.
‘I noticed a van coming up behind me while I was trying to overtake a car.
‘I pulled over a let him past, before pulling out and overtaking the car.
‘Then, I noticed a piece of wood had become loose on the top of the van, and flew off and hit my car.
A witness pulled over with Wayne and helped him photograph his damaged car (pictured) and contact an ambulance
‘I don’t know if the van driver realised what had happened, but either way he drove off.
‘I was able to get his information from the dash-cam either way, thankfully.’
He added: ‘I had to call the people I was meant to be having the interview with and let them know I was in an accident and couldn’t attend.
‘It’s frustrating because this is the first job interview I have had in a while because of everything going on with Covid-19, it is the worst time to look for work.
‘They understood but I think I might have missed my chance now.’