COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A couple's drive in Columbus came to a sudden stop after a brick ended up in their car. They said they hope no one else has to deal with a situation like this.
"We were five minutes from her house, we thought we had made it home, basically. And just makes you realize what can happen in a split second," Cydney Ireland said. “It was a normal Christmas trip. We were calling friends, talking on the phone and really I just heard a huge thud.”
She was driving back to her parents' house the Saturday after Christmas. She was on State Route 161 East on the northeast side when a brick ended up in the car. She said her fiancé, who was in the passenger seat, saw it come over a barrier wall on the side of the road.
“There’s no brick in that area, it's a huge cement like sound barrier wall that runs that highway. There was no red brick that would have fallen off of the overpass so we knew immediately this was something that was thrown at the car and we got extremely extremely lucky," she said.
Ireland got off the highway right away, called police and took pictures. The brick went through the headlight and got lodged near the engine. She and her fiancé are grateful it didn't hit the windshield.
“We were talking about had it been one second prior or had I been going 70, not 65 -- you don't even want to think about it," Ireland said.
She's now wondering if additional barriers or surveillance could be added in some places. The couple lives in Philadelphia and said this terrifying experience made them even more aware of their surroundings on the trip home.
“I just think the biggest message is that this can change someone's life and we’re so thankful we’re ok but people need to be on the lookout for this," Ireland said.
The Columbus Division of Police is investigating the incident.
