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Falling Ice Smashes Through Windshield, Injures Driver In Burlington

BURLINGTON (CBS) - A large piece of ice fell from a condominium complex roof, smashing through a car windshield and injuring the driver. Firefighters responded to The Villages at Maple Ridge, at 9:17 a.m. Thursday.

When they arrived, they found 49-year-old Cathy Lavey inside the car.

"Big, huge, sheet of ice slid off the garage roof and caved in my whole windshield," Lavey said. "I didn't see it coming. I was looking down to shut off the engine and I'm glad I wasn't looking up, I don't know what shape my face would be in right now."

Lavey suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center.

"This chunk of ice was the size of my windshield and probably about eight inches think," she said. "If I had another 15 seconds and had gotten out of the car, I probably would not be here right now."

Window smashed
Ice fell off a roof and crashed through a windshield in Burlington (Photo from Julie Loncich/WBZ)

Chief Steve Yetman said residents, property managers, and business owners should clear snow and ice from rooftops.

"We are very fortunate that the victim in this instance was not more seriously injured," he said in a press statement.

"However, as temperatures warm up and rain mixes with the snow already packed onto rooftops, it creates very dangerous situations like this if roofs are not properly cleared."

A building inspector was called to the scene to assess a damaged skylight on the condo's roof.

WBZ-TV's Julie Loncich contributed to this report.

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