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Rocks from railroad trestle crack driver’s windshield

Posted at 6:26 PM, Jul 14, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-14 18:27:56-04

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. -- A driver in Colonial Heights is warning others after he said a rock from a train  trestle smashed into his windshield Tuesday evening.

"Stayed calm and collected," Colby Johnson said was the first thing that ran through his mind as he was driving underneath the Boulevard train trestle when a rock slammed into his windshield.

"No swerving, thank God," Johnson said.

Colby Johnson

Colby Johnson

While the crack means he will be getting a new windshield, Johnson said there is a bigger issue.

"What is it going to take to get this problem fixed," he asked.

The trestle

The trestle

Sources said there was a crew on the bridge working Tuesday around noon.

Johnson's crack.

Johnson's crack.

Ashley Henard said she knows what Colby went through because the same thing happened to her two years ago.

"I had a couple of kids screaming, a couple of kids kind of scared and asked what happened," Henard recalled.

It was July 1st, 2014 and Henard had her four children and a neighbor's child were in her car heading home on July 1, 2014 when the rock hit.

"All of a sudden a huge thump hit the windshield, and I looked and saw the windshield broken, and glass was inside the car," Henard  said.

Henard's windshield.

Henard's windshield.

She pulled off at a nearby parking lot and called police.

A check of police reports show one call each year for the past three years for broken windshields and three different occasions of reports of rocks falling.

Henard said this latest report has her concerned.

"It's a little disheartening that it's still going on because I feel like it is a safety issue," she said. "And especially if it was a motorcyclist or a bicyclist or a pedestrian walking or coming under that bridge, it could really hurt them."

Laura Phelps with CSX issued the following statement Thursday afternoon:

"I have elevated the concerns about the rail bridge over The Boulevard in Colonial Heights, Va to our bridge engineering team and they are looking into the issue, because the safety of the community is our first priority."

Depend on CBS 6 News for continuing coverage of this developing story. 

Under the bridge.

Under the bridge.

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