Ice Slams Through Vehicle In Southington: SFD

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A frightening incident on Interstate 84 in Southington over the holiday weekend shows clearly why the state legislature enacted Public Act No. 10-182 back in 2010.

That particular piece of legislation mandates that motorists clear their vehicles of any snow and ice accumulating after a storm.

And on Sunday afternoon, the Southington Fire Department showed how such a simple scenario could, potentially, be deadly.

According to the SPD, a motorist on Interstate 84 Sunday afternoon escaped serious injury when a large chunk of ice slammed into the windshield.

That ice had, according to firefighters, broken off another vehicle.

It had been a few days since the last snowstorm and as late as Sunday, some vehicles could still be seen on area roadways with frozen wintertime "decorations" on the roof.

That, according to the SPD, is dangerous.

"Leaving frozen snow and ice on your car can cause it to fly off while driving, resulting in accidents and injuries to other motorists on the road," wrote firefighters Sunday.

The SFD said the incident happened on Interstate 84 West and it posted images showing a caved-in windshield directly in front of the driver, who was able to safely pull over.

But, according to the images, ice did penetrate inside the vehicle.

" Luckily, only minor injuries from what could have been much worse," wrote the SFD

State law has scofflaws facing a fine of $75 for not properly removing snow/ice from a vehicle.

But those fines escalate dramatically if it causes damage and/or injury, where the fines could exceed $1,000 or more.

For the full text of the state law regarding snow/ice on vehicles, click on this link.