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MIDVALE — A driver's dashcam caught the moment a chunk of ice and snow fell from an overhead interstate sign and shattered the car's windshield.
"It happened in the blink of the eye," Marcin Karpinski said.
Karpinski said the ice fell on the evening of Dec. 17 as he was driving north on Interstate 15 and about to take the 7200 South exit in Midvale.
"When I was passing below the sign, the huge ice block fell from the sign and hit me," Karpinski said.
The impact broke Karpinski's SUV's windshield and sent pieces of glass and ice into the car.
"When you are driving on the highway and ice falls from the sign, there is nothing you can do," Karpinski said. "You don't see it. You cannot move away. You cannot not pass below it. Your hands are literally tied."
Karpinski wasn't injured and was able to safely exit the interstate.
He estimates it will cost around $1,500 to fix his roof and windshield.
He filed a claim with the Utah Department of Transportation and sent them the video.
"It's very rare," John Gleason, spokesman for UDOT, said of the incident.
In response to Karpinski's claim, Gleason said UDOT doesn't bear responsibility to fix the damaged SUV.
"It's such an unfortunate incident," Gleason said. "But, unfortunately, because it's not something that can be predicted, it's an act of nature, it's not something that would be covered by UDOT."
Karpinski wants to warn other drivers about this danger and wonders if his outcome could have been worse if someone was sitting in the passenger seat or if he lost control of the vehicle.
"The next person may not be so lucky," Karpinski said. "The next person could die or be seriously hurt or kill somebody in the process."
Karpinski said he's not worried about the money, but is still evaluating his next step, after learning that UDOT won't cover the damages. He said he believes UDOT can do more to keep this kind of thing from happening again.
He also said this is also a good reminder for everyone to clean snow and ice off their vehicle before driving around so that it doesn't hit other cars.
