Alaska man killed when debris pierces windshield in freak accident on highway

A 69-year-old man has died after a large piece of metal fell off a dump truck and smashed through the windshield of his car in a freak accident.

An Alaska man vacationing in New England was killed Friday when a large piece of metal suddenly smashed through the windshield of his rental car, police said.

Thomas Arrington, 69, was heading north on I-95 near Danvers, Massachusetts around 8.23am when debris fell out of a dump truck on the same side of the highway, according to Massachusetts State Police.

A piece of metal fell out of a passing truck. Picture: Handout

The piece of metal, identified as a screed, a tool used to level and smooth freshly poured concrete, struck Mr Arrington, who was travelling with a 68-year old female passenger.

Though severely injured, Mr Arrington was able to veer his rented Ford Fusion into another lane and stop the car. He was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders.

Mr Arrington, of Palmer, Alaska, and the woman had just arrived in Massachusetts a day earlier for a planned vacation.

Thomas Arrington, 69, died at the scene. Picture: Supplied

Police determined that the screed came from a 2020 Ford F550 dump truck, operated by a 21-year-old man working for a Massachusetts construction company. The employee reached out to state police and is co-operating, cops said.

An investigation is ongoing and will determine if charges are warranted.

This article originally appeared on NY Post and was reproduced with permission