Driver’s miraculous escape as part of roof rack smashes into car on A12

Rob Couzens was travelling from his Colchester home to Dagenham to collect his son for the day when the metal appeared out of nowhere and hit his Ford Focus.

Travelling at such speed the The piece of metal, thought to be part of a vehicle’s roof rack from another vehicle, became lodged in the car’s windscreen.

Pieces of glass shattered into the car but amazingly Mr Couzens’ was able to keep his cool and steer the vehicle to a halt safely.

The 32-year-old said: “I was very scared and the first thing I did was swear a lot.

“I moved into the inside lane and then pulled over in the nearest layby.

“I got out of the car and I sat down on the floor - I was shaking.

“My first instinct was that someone was watching over me.”

The damage left once the piece of metal was removed from the windscreen

Mr Couzens believes the roof rack must have dislodged from another vehicle and come to rest on the carriageway.

He believes another vehicle then sent it flying upwards after driving over it on the road.

“It was travelling at some speed and when it went through the window it bent and went towards the driver’s side,” Mr Couzens said.

“It was lucky there was nobody in the passenger seat at the time because glass scattered all on the inside. I got covered in glass but it was worse on that side.

“It is lucky it did not go all the way through the windscreen.”

Mr Couzens has posted images and dash cam footage online in the hope of identifying any witnesses.

The incident took place on Thursday at around 2.30pm on the A12 southbound near to junction 13 at Ingatestone.

Mr Couzens said: “I have not driven a car yet but I cannot wait to get back on the road. It could take anything from a week to two weeks for the repairs to my car.”

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