Strong winds in La Jolla Wednesday morning sent a branch shooting through a man’s windshield, missing the driver by just a foot.
Scott Cummins said he noticed the blustery conditions as got into his car around 7:30 a.m. to go surfing at the beach.
Even though San Diego County was under a high wind warning, the wind was not Cummins' first thought as he turned out of his driveway.
“And then boom –big noise-- and I thought, ‘Oh no, some truck hit me,’” said Cummins.
He was showered with glass. Cummins initially thought that it was strange his windshield had shattered from a rear impact.
However, when he looked to his right, he saw a branch had pierced his front window.
He said his turn onto the road saved him some serious injuries.
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“It came right here, right next to my head, and if I was still going straight, there’d be perhaps an imprint of a branch on my forehead,” Cummins said.
The branch –which he said was probably from a eucalyptus tree -- was not huge, so Cummins believes the wind had to be blowing very strongly to make the skinny limb do so much damage.
He estimates the gusts were between 30 and 40 miles per hour.
Ultimately, Cummins said he’s thankful no one was riding in the passenger’s seat, and when the wind picks up again, he’ll be moving away from the trees.
