Woman impaled by 12-foot metal fence post

Houston Chronicle ^ | Associated Press

[Tarpaulin]

ANDERSON, Ind. -- A woman survived being impaled by a 12-foot metal fence post that pierced through her mouth and came out the back of her neck in a car accident, authorities said.

Emergency crews had to saw off part of the 1 1/2-inch thick fence rail to free Alejandra Martinez, who was still awake when crews arrived at the scene. Fire officials were shocked to find her alive.

"Talk about having an angel as a co-pilot," Fire Chief J.R. Rosencrans said. "On her rearview mirror she had a picture of the Madonna. You can tell she is a religious person."

Martinez, 28, was in critical condition late Monday, recovering from surgery, officials said.

Earlier Monday, Martinez drove through a stop sign at an intersection and hit another car, Anderson police spokesman Terry Sollars said. She then lost control, careened off the road and went through a chain-link fence.

The car hit a concrete porch, shoving it three feet back, Sollars said. The metal rod from the fence went through the driver's side of the windshield, he said.

A passenger in the back seat was not injured.

Anderson is about 35 miles northeast of Indianapolis.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Holy sh!t. Wow.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Earlier Monday, Martinez drove through a stop sign at an intersection and hit another car, Anderson police spokesman Terry Sollars said. She then lost control, careened off the road and went through a chain-link fence.

I hate it when I'm driving really fast and suddenly a STOP sign pops up out of nowhere, and I get in an accident and have a metal fence post shoved through my mouth and out my neck. Starts my day out by making me real ornery...

[SeeRushToldU_So]

I can't imagine the horror.

[VadeRetro]

It's a miracle she's alive today, but I have to guess she'll be quadruplegically paralyzed if she makes it.

[dighton]

No one I met at this time -- doctors, nurses, practicantes, or fellow-patients -- failed to assure me that a man who is hit through the neck and survives it is the luckiest creature alive. I could not help thinking that it would be even luckier not to be hit at all.

-- Orwell, Homage to Catalonia.

[AnAmericanMother]

Probably worse for the EMTs than the lady, who was probably in shock (and couldn't see the awful sight anyhow.)

Those poor guys are going to remember that and shudder for a long time . . .

[Pyro7480]

"Talk about having an angel as a co-pilot," Fire Chief J.R. Rosencrans said. "On her rearview mirror she had a picture of the Madonna. You can tell she is a religious person."

It sounds like she was in the good hands of her guardian angel.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Brother Chad: Did you ever get your notice reinstating you as a 250th degree Mason?

[GeekDejure]

Why does Bill Clinton come to mind ???

[AnAmericanMother]

If it wasn't a square hit, with just a 1 1/2" post it might have missed the spinal column. We sure can hope so.

[dfwgator]

"I did not impale."

[Chad Fairbanks]

Yes.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Good, you also get your dental coverage back.

[Chad Fairbanks]

If her Guardian Angel was on the job, it would have said "Uh, you might wanna stop for this Stop sign..."

[Huck]

It sounds like she was in the good hands of her guardian angel.

I love the sort of twisted logic that assumes a guardian angel would protect someone from dying in a horrible accident, but wouldn't bother to stop the accident from occurring. The idiot woman ran a stop sign. Where was her guardian angel then? Ordering a happy meal?

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Geez. You think you know somebody. ; )

[new cruelty]

"...impaled by a 12-foot metal fence post that pierced through her mouth and came out the back of her neck..."

I understand she was in a car wreck but how in the wide wide world of sports did THAT happen? Through her mouth? Wow.

I kind of want to see a picture... I'm so bad.

[Nick Danger]

I hate it when I'm driving really fast and suddenly a STOP sign pops up out of nowhere, and I get in an accident and have a metal fence post shoved through my mouth and out my neck. Starts my day out by making me real ornery...

I actually know a woman who was told over breakfast by her husband that he was leaving her. On the way to work, a log fell off a truck onto the freeway in front of her; it bounced twice, then came through her windshield. It didn't hit her, so she was OK. She finally got to the office, where she was called in to be told she was being laid off.

What a day.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Good thing she was drunk.