A South Florida man wants answers after he says a piece of concrete fell from the ceiling of a Fort Lauderdale tunnel, shattering his car’s rear window. NBC6’s Niko Clemmons reports
A South Florida man wants answers after he says a piece of concrete fell from the ceiling of a Fort Lauderdale tunnel and onto his car, shattering his rear window.
Gary Gerbino says he was driving through the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel, or New River Tunnel, in Fort Lauderdale Tuesday when he heard a loud noise.
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WATCH HERE“And then crash, immediately I didn’t know what the heck happened so I turned around and I was startled, and my complete back window was crashed,” Gerbino said. “It was scary, really scary. I was shaking.”
His rear window was shattered and glass was everywhere. Gerbino pulled over to see what went through his window. He says he found pieces of concrete in his car.
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“It’s almost like the concrete fractured in a bunch of little pieces,” Gerbino said. “They’re all over the car in addition to the glass, there's chunks they’re about the size of your fist.”
FDOT said on Thursday that one northbound lane was closed until 3 p.m. while the tunnel is inspected.
Gerbino says the incident is concerning.
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“If I had a kid in the backseat they’d be dead,” Gerbino said. “I’m like thank God it didn’t crash the sunroof or the windshield. If it crashed the windshield I wouldn’t be here.”
Gerbino says he’s is also concerned because FDOT has closed this tunnel in the past to make repairs and safety improvements.
“It’s all been fixed,” Gerbino said. “It’s brand new, and why is the ceiling falling?”
FDOT started a construction project in 2021 but didn't finish until last year. Gerbino thinks the agency should take another look.
“They should close it to investigate and see what’s going on,” Gerbino said. "I mean, it's cement that fell."
Gerbino is worried what happened to him could happen to someone else, if it hasn't already. When he thinks about it, he gets emotional, because he knows his frightening experience could have ended differently.
“If it was my windshield, I would have crashed,” Gerbino said.
