As someone with quite a few long distance road trips under my windshield, it's an unpleasant experience to watch a sizeable rock fly up and off a truck, then home in on the windshield like a Sandy Koufax curve ball as you sit powerless to avoid. Brace for impact, then assess the damage like B-17 flak. I had a Marchal driving light lens blown out, of course several windshield chips, and a-pillar/roof line gouges from these projectiles. Part of my car's battle "charm" I tell myself. Therefore, I am defensive by being aggressive and getting past the trucks/SUV's by any means possible in search of clear air. I also have a spare windshield for when the time is right.
I was on a two lane road (one lane each way) when I saw a 'work' truck coming towards me (this is a truck that is a flat bed with short side panels... usually with all sorts of stuff piled in there). There was traffic following the truck and a ditch to my right. We each were going 50mph - meaning 100mph closing speed.
When the truck was about 150' in front of me - I saw a small straight rod of some sort drop off the drivers side of the truck and fall to the ground. It looked to be a handle or something similar (about a foot long and 2 inches in diameter). Looked like bare metal with a plastic end grip kind of thing...
The handle landed to the side of the truck and bounced up heading straight into my lane. I had no time to really do anything.... but I did have a second to think about it.
I could speed up as best I could and try to pass under it as it bounced - but I had a feeling it would end up in the windshield.
I could slam on the brakes and hope the second hop would take the object out of my path L or R (or it could continue straight into my windshield - not a good choice).
Or I could just stay steady and 'hope' for the best.
I chose the later. The thing landed in the middle of my lane and bounced straight in line with me. I hit it as it was falling for its second bounce - at about 18" above the ground.
My 997 now wears a nice scar on its nose. 90% of it is in the front bumper cover. But.... there is about 2" into the front trunk lid.
All in all - I really had no choice other than what I did. And nothing I could do about it...
This happened in June and it took me till Sept to get an appointment to have the damage reviewed by the shop I want to have do the work. It will go in in Feb 2024... All the good body shops are VERY backed up. Current estimate is just shy of $10k.....
Everyone .... Stay safe.....