MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -
A Rutherford County man says a rock that came crashing through his windshield last week could have cost him his life.
Brian Galford was driving by the Middle Point Landfill located on Highway 266 last week when he says a truck exiting the landfill flipped a rock into the air before it smashed through his windshield, causing extensive damage to his truck.
Galford told Nashville's News 2 Investigates he jerked his head out of the way of the flying rock just in time.
"[I] saw it in the air coming at me," he recalled.
Galford told Nashville's News 2 Investigates that he saw a blue Allied Waste Republics Service truck pulling out of the landfill, launching the football size bolder into the air.
"I moved to the right [and] scraped [my neck and] boom [the rock came] out through the rear window," he said, adding, "I was taken via ambulance to Middle Tennessee Medical Center."
Galford said he wants the responsible party to pay for the damages on his vehicle including a smashed window and bent steering wheel; however it's his word against the company's.
On Thursday, County Highway Commissioner Keith Bratcher met with Nashville's News 2 Investigates at the sight of the scene for comment on the incident.
"He's lucky to be alive. Kind of sad the response he is getting from Allied Waste," Bratcher said.
Peg Milloy, Allied Waste spokesperson, released a statement regarding the incident that read:
"Allied trucks are not the only trucks that come in and out of the landfill. So, you cannot just assume that any truck entering or exiting the Middle Point landfill belongs to Allied Waste. We have a video camera pointed at the entrance to the landfill 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are double checking the footage for the time of the incident to verify if an Allied truck turned out of the landfill in the direction of the driver's vehicle."
Galford said he just wants the responsible party held accountable.
The company also said it's sympathetic to Mr. Galford's situation and agrees that his damages should be paid for by the responsible party.
Galford said he has filed a police report and believes that his insurance company should not be forced to pay for the damages.
