'Every day is a gift': Christmas drive ends with ice through windshield

BOSTON — The ride home from spending Christmas in Maine turned frightful for Stephen Sherwin.

A huge sheet of ice flew off a tractor trailer in front of his car (he and his brother-in-law were inside) Wednesday morning while driving on Interstate 95 near Amesbury.

"It's frightening, yeah, a split second realizing you're powerless,” Sherwin told Boston 25 News. “There's nothing you can do about it in that split second you can only wait and hope for the best."

That ice missile hurtled straight towards the north Andover man and instantly shattered the glass of his windshield.

“Right in the corner of the windshield, a few inches to the side, who knows what could've happened," he said.

After the close call, Sherwin eventually caught up to the trucker.

“He was blissfully unaware of what was going on. I think he might've been enjoying a song or two,” said Sherwin. “We stopped pursuing that after we realized the car was unsuitable for the road."

Still shaken, Sherwin shot cell phone video shortly afterward.

Pieces of shattered glass clung to the driver's seat.

Sherwin wasn't injured and is thankful his wife and two young children were not in his Nissan Altima with him at the time.

“Every day is a gift,” he said. “It's really true, you really have a new appreciation for family and time you get to spend with them and I'm happy to do so with the rest of my Christmas holiday."

His windshield is all fixed -- a day early -- and he has his car back.

He says he does not know the truck company, but did get the truck's license plate.

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Cox Media Group