Girl’s seat choice proves life-saving when tire crushes windshield, Florida cops say

A seemingly insignificant decision to sit in the back seat may have saved a girl’s life, after a tire came flying out of the dark and slammed into a car’s windshield, according to Florida investigators.

It happened around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, on U.S. 19 in Clearwater, just west of Tampa.

“Thankfully, no one was seriously injured or killed when a tire came off a southbound vehicle, bounced over the median and slammed into the windshield of a northbound car,” the Clearwater Police Department said in a Jan. 13 news release.

“A woman and her school-aged daughter were in the car at the time of the incident,” police said. “Thankfully, the child was in the back seat and no one was riding in the front passenger seat, which sustained much of the damage from the tire.”

The identities of the woman and child were not released.

Photos shared by police show the tire first touched down on the hood before crashing into the windshield. The impact cause the roof to collapse on the passenger side of the car, and the metal folded across the seat like the lid of a tin can

A passenger in the seat could easily have been struck in the face as the roof folded, photos show.

Investigators have not released details of the vehicle that lost the tire. The incident occurred near the intersection of U.S. 19 and Drew Street, which is a largely commercial district.

This story was originally published January 15, 2024 at 9:19 AM with the headline "Girl’s seat choice proves life-saving when tire crushes windshield, Florida cops say."