KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Imagine driving down the street on your way to breakfast when out of nowhere something slams into your windshield. That’s what happened to a Kansas City woman this week.
“It was pretty shocking. I didn’t know what to do,” said Barbara Varanka.
Varanka was driving, with her dog at her side, when she was completely caught off guard on Wednesday morning.
“I was going under the I-35 overpass and this huge chunk of the bridge fell on my car.”
She said the piece of concrete bounced off her hood and cracked her windshield.
“Luckily, no one was around me. No other cars around at the time. I just kind of froze and then I pulled over and tried to figure out what just happened.”
Varanka said she heard construction that day.
As it turns out, Clarkson Construction, a contractor for the Missouri Department of Transportation, is replacing expansion joints on the overpass’ deck.
Project Manager Rich Markey explained crews don’t do work over live traffic. The construction company said they are investigating.
In the meantime, Varanka has filed a claim with her car insurance company and is still waiting to see how much repairs will cost.
“It’s sort of that freak accident that you don’t think will ever happen to you.”
Clarkson Construction said if the same thing happens to you and you’re looking to file a claim, contact MoDOT to find out which contractor, if any, were working in the area.
