They said they were driving along Interstate 90 when a chunk of asphalt came flying off the Route 53 overpass in the north suburbs and crashed into their windshield.
It happened when the couple was on their way to the airport to pick up their son.
It's a busy overpass over a busy interstate.
And when snow is falling it becomes even trickier.
But Terry Ostling says asphalt falling from the sky was the last thing she expected.
"It was one of those 'Jesus, take the wheel' moments," Ostling said.
It happened on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, when nearly a foot of snow fell on the Chicago area.
Ostling and her husband, Larry, were headed to O'Hare airport, traveling east on I-90. They say, because of the snow, traffic was moving at about 40 miles an hour.
Larry Ostling noticed it first: a wall of snow falling from the overpass on the east side, apparently from a snowplow on Route 53 above.
But mixed with the snow, apparently, was a huge chunk of asphalt that shattered the windshield.
"It hit, and the weight of it made the car bounce. And we were showered with shards of glass," Larry Ostling said.
The couple reported the incident to the Illinois Department of Transportation and to the state police.
An IDOT spokesperson says they are looking into the claim.
In the meantime, they had the vehicle towed to a repair shop. They say the extensive damage from the shattered glass may make the car a total loss.
"Neither of us were hurt, thank goodness, but the truck is a total loss. It's totaled," Terry Ostling said.
Just last week, a driver on Interstate 55 was injured when a huge chunk of debris fell from the Pulaski overpass on I-55 and shattered her windshield.
Larry Ostling questions how this happened.
"I can't imagine why they would be throwing snow off an overpass onto the interstate highway below," he said.
The Ostlings say they believe they were fortunate to be driving a large SUV.
Otherwise they say they could have been seriously injured or even killed.
To file a claim with IDOT, visit https://idot.illinois.gov/travel-information/report-a-problem/claims.html, or call 217-782-6263.
To report issues on a state road or expressway, call 800-452-4368.