Driver dodges death when metal spring crashes through windshield

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (WLS) -- Tom Kotenko is injured but alive with his son in Michigan. He had a close call when a piece of metal smashed through his windshield and into him while driving in Northwest Indiana. He suffered a concussion and has stitches in his head.

"It's a leaf spring, from the bottom of the suspension of the truck," Kotenko said.

State police say the 5-pound spring came off a semi in the eastbound lanes of I-94 near Michigan City. Kotenko was driving when the car in front of him swerved. The spring bounced off Kotenko's hood before crashing through the windshield.

Kotenko says he was knocked unconscious for a few seconds and woke up bleeding. He was taken to Franciscan Saint Anthony's Hospital for treatment, where he reflected on his good fortune.

"I had plenty of time in the hospital to think," he said. "I spend a lot of time on the road. So nothing like this has ever happened to me before."

In a bizarre twist, Kotenko works for a company that develops products for commercial vehicles. He knows the industry well, he says, and wants to share his story with purpose.

"I'm hopeful that somebody sees this and, just, another truck is fixed and properly maintained before they head out," he said.