CATAWBA COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Erica Kennedy hit black ice Monday morning and flipped over a guard rail into Lake Norman. Now she's asking the NCDOT for taller guard rails.
"I'm shaking a little bit, but I'm fine," said Kennedy on Tuesday afternoon at the site of the accident. "To be able to walk away from something like that with just two scratches, that's amazing."
On Monday, just before 6 a.m., Kennedy left for work, headed East on NC 150. It was dark, and she didn't see the thin layer of black ice on the bridge.
"I felt myself hit something. I closed my eyes, and next thing you know I heard a splash and realized I was in the lake."
When Kennedy opened her eyes, water was already up to her knees, but amazingly, her Jeep Liberty had landed right-side up.
Kennedy also realized a wooden stick she used to prop up her hood had fallen into her lap.
"That's when I turned and realized my passenger side window was busted a little bit. So I unbuckled my seatbelt and I took the stick and rubbed it around the rim of the window to get the glass out, went underneath water and came out and swam to the embankment."
A truck driver saw the whole thing and ran down to help.
"I think I jumped on top of him because I was so scared, and he grabbed me and ran me back up to the top, and he actually took off his jacket and put it over me," said Kennedy.
It wasn't until later that she noticed the guard rail. Kennedy's boyfriend pointed out that it seemed very short, and the rest of her family agreed.
"We really thought that might be one of the issues as to why I went into the lake," said Kennedy.
WBTV called the DOT and found out new guard rails have to be 31 inches tall. Old ones like the one Kennedy flipped over have to be 27 inches tall. When WBTV measured, the rail stood at only 21 inches from top to bottom.
"Well that's below 27 inches," said NCDOT engineer Kevin Lacy. "We would send someone out there to review and see what we would need to do, if anything."
Lacy said the DOT generally only inspects guard rails when they are first built, unless there is a complaint. Because of Kennedy's story, a DOT crew will be going out to the spot where the accident happened to examine the guard rail.
Kennedy is glad the DOT plans to visit. She thinks it could keep someone else from having the scare of a lifetime.
"I'm extremely thankful. It wasn't my time."
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