TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The driver of a semi-truck was miraculously uninjured after two utility poles flew through the cab of his truck on Friday morning.
The accident, which occurred on Interstate 275 in Tampa, took place at approximately 10:30 a.m.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the 33-year-old driver of the truck reported seeing a vehicle parked on the outside shoulder of the highway. This “phantom vehicle,” as the Florida Highway Patrol called it, then veered into the right lane and cut him off, the driver said.
The driver then slammed on the brakes, causing two utility poles to break free from tie-downs on the trailer and crash through the cab of the truck. Aerial footage showed the poles sticking out through both the front and rear windshields.
The driver was somehow uninjured, the highway patrol confirmed.
The poles were made of metal and concrete and belonged to Duke Energy, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Each pole weighed 5,467 pounds.
A portion of 1-275 southbound was temporarily shut down on Friday following the incident. The lanes reopened later that day.
