Concrete chunk, size of a basketball, falls on to car on I-696

DETROIT (WJBK) - There are more reports of flying concrete on the freeway in metro Detroit.

This time a man claims a chunk of concrete, the size of a basketball, came crashing through his windshield on I-696.

"It sounded like a gun shot went off. The next thing I know I am covered in glass. I didn't know what hit me", said Patrick Zawacki.

The incident happened on Sunday.

Zawacki said he was on his way home on East 696 near the Mound Road overpass when something came crashing through his passenger side window.

"I had no idea what happened. It took a few seconds to gather myself. Luckily I didn't lose control or anything."

Patrick pulled over and called Michigan State police. An officer showed up and informed him it was in fact a basketball sized piece of concrete that shattered his windshield and left a gaping hole.

"I started walking around my vehicle, picking up large pieces of concrete on the side of the road. He kept showing me. He walked over to my vehicle and said the roads are an absolute disaster. He actually says he has been seeing this once a week."

Fox 2 has reported similar cases over last several weeks.

Last week we told you about another piece of concrete that came through a windshield on the same stretch of 696 near Hoover in Warren.

It knocked a woman unconscious causing her to strike another vehicle..

"Once I found out this was happening to other people as frequently as it was happening I was like OK, what has to be done to get this fixed? Somebody has to die?"

MDOT is well aware of the problem, but at this point Fox 2 is told there is not much that can be done.

There are future I-696 plans to remove and replace the concrete between I-94 and Mound Road, but it will cost $70 million.

The project is not expected to be started until 2020,  unless funding becomes available sooner.

Patrick said it's not about the money. He said he already forked out the $200 to fix his windshield. He is just worried the next motorist might not be as lucky.

"If it happened two feet further to the left and hit the drivers side, God knows what could have happened."