(08/21/19) - Mike Adams was just a foot away from being seriously injured or killed after a welding clamp smashed through his windshield on U.S. 23.

Adams, a director in the ABC12 control room, was shaken up by the accident on the eve of his 26th wedding anniversary. He wants to share life-saving advice for anyone driving a pickup truck or towing a trailer.

Adams was heading south on U.S. 23 near Lahring Road in Fenton Township at about 70 mph on the way to the gym with other traffic.

"Then all of a sudden, I look and there's a cable in the road," Adams said.

Before he could even think about dodging it, a welding clamp shot up, detached from the cable and crashed through his windshield. It tore through the passenger seat and landed in the backseat, missing him by about a foot.

"I had no time to swerve, to try to avoid it. There's nothing I could have done to avoid it. Within a split second, it was through the windshield and in the back," Adams said.

Four hours after it happened, Adams went to Facebook to share a life-saving message with hopes that this never happens to anyone else.

"We see stuff come off of trailers all the time. You see straps dragging, chains dragging, things that are rattling around that are loose. Just take that extra time. Tie loads down. Secure your loads. After you drive down the road a while, stop, pull over. Check them, and make sure they're still tight," Adams said.

He said that split second could have costed more than just his life. The metal struck the passenger seat, where his wife typically sits, and landed in the back seat, where his grandson sits.

"It's scary to think that somebody else not taking time to take care of whatever is on their vehicle or on their trailer can take you or a loved one out -- or a friend or whoever it may be. It happens every day. Take the time. Stop. Secure your loads," Adams said.

He pointed out his Jeep can be fixed, but lives cannot be replaced.