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LEHI — Three days after a troublesome piece of metal was reported, a KSL-TV photographer spied the piece in nearly the exact same spot lying on the freeway. This could have done serious harm to a member of the Eaton family.
Thankfully, it didn't. But it still hadn't been removed until early Tuesday morning when the KSL-TV photographer picked it up to get it out of the way of other drivers.
"It's scary to watch back and you can see, you can hear the terror in everybody's voice," Lily Eaton said.
A large piece of an office chair flew like a propeller into the Eaton family's car, so Eaton called 911.
"She was like, we have reports of an office chair, was it that?"
The crossbar of four legs of the chair, but without wheels, was launched into their windshield.
"It hit us just right that it didn't impale through the windshield, but if it did, it probably would not have been as good," Eaton said.
Three days later, the same piece of metal remained sitting in the same spot where Eaton's mom pulled over the family car.
"I'm not aware that we've been able to narrow that down specifically to where that one came from, this is something that we try to make sure doesn't occur," Utah Highway Patrol's Sgt. Cameron Roden said.
The Utah Highway Patrol works with 911 dispatch to clear the roads.
"We try to remove them as quickly as possible, especially if it's something that is a major hazard," Roden said.
He said troopers will typically bring items to the shoulder.
"If it's something that we feel is going to be safe on the side of the road, then we'll wait for UDOT to pick those up," Roden said.
KSL-TV asked how long that wait could last. Roden said it's possible it could be a few days.
"That is sometimes possible," Roden. He added that a lot of it depends on the workload.
Utah's Department of Transportation said road debris has become more of an issue in recent years. They said there's no record that this particular piece of debris was reported to their crews.
KSL is working to find out how many times the chair was called to the police or the Utah Highway Patrol.
"You never know what's going to happen," Eaton said.
The Utah Highway Patrol said the best way to report road debris is to call 911 as soon as you see it. Describe what you're seeing what lane it's in, and what exit you're near.
