Passenger severely injured after debris from road crashed through windshield

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A passenger in a vehicle traveling on Interstate 485 at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday was severely injured after metal debris from the road crashed through the windshield.

A lawnmower blade knocked out the man’s teeth.

[I-77 toll lane construction debris leads to costly repairs]

“He had some severe facial injuries,” North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper Ray Pierce said. “He lost several teeth and some deep lacerations.”

Pierce didn’t know if the metal had fallen off another vehicle or whether it was on the road and tossed into the air by a passing car.

Pierce said troopers see debris on the road frequently.

“We've had refrigerators,” Pierce said. “We have had barrels -- you name it and we've found it on these roadways.”

The problem is often worse where there's construction.

[Loose road markers that plagued I-77, now on I-485]

“All over the roads -- glass, debris, tire debris, things just not being picked up,” driver Khalon Sudler said.

Contractors are responsible for cleaning up work zones and North Carolina Department of Transportation officials said they have crews on other highways.

Motorists need to contact the NCDOT to avoid incidents like the one Thursday morning, NCDOT spokeswoman Jen Thompson said.

“We don't have all the eyes we need, and that's why the public's help is really important,” Thompson said.

Officials said drivers should not stop on the roadway to pick up debris because of the danger.

Call *HP if you see debris on the highways.

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