I was once driving my Chevy pickup around the Memphis I240 loop in traffic, when I saw probably a 3 inch diameter pipe nipple, maybe 4 inches long, fall off a plumbing truck about 10 or 12 car lengths up.
It bounced once, and I got nervous - I played outfield a lot, and I can usually tell when and where a projectile is going to hit. I pulled as far to the right as I could without side-swiping the car next to me.
It bounced twice, and I knew I was in for it. I pulled a little farther right, hoping the other car would move too... I was trying to get my truck’s windshield pillar to take the blow instead of having that thing come through the windshield and kill me.
It hit my side mirror, which basically exploded and sent glass shards all down the side of the truck. Had to have that whole side re-painted. But I’m still here...
I had a trailer tire come off in front of me. It was quite thrilling but I kept my head about me and made the right move at the last second to avoid it. The worst part was the initial bouncing but then it began to roll and hop.
I knew a gal once that was killed when a semi-truck coming towards them threw a brake shoe through the windshield. Her fiancé was driving but it nearly cut her head off. They blew an engine up on one ambulance trying to get her to the hospital. The state patrol put out a nationwide BOLO for a truck that was missing a brake shoe but it never turned up