A Manor Township police officer inspects a car driven by Barry L. Myers, who was killed Monday afternoon when he was impaled by a piece of wood that smashed through his windshield.
A freak accident Monday afternoon killed a Columbia man who was impaled by a flying piece of wood that crashed through his windshield while he was driving in Manor Township.
Barry L. Myers, 60, of 842 Blunston St., was pronounced dead at Lancaster General Hospital shortly after the 1:40 p.m. accident.
Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said an autopsy will be performed today.
A family relative said Myers and his wife, Deborah, were returning from a weekend trip to Ocean City, Md., when the accident happened.
Deborah Myers celebrated her birthday Monday.
"Barry was the type of guy who would help anybody with anything," said the relative, who asked not to be named.
According to Manor Township police, Myers and his wife were traveling north in the 500 block of Millersville Road in a Buick sedan.
At the same time, Vernon McCauley, 73, of Lancaster, was traveling south when two pieces of wood fencing flew off his truck.
"It appears the wind picked them up," police Cpl. Kim Geyer said.
The wood was strapped down on the truck, according to Geyer, but somehow got loose and flew off the truck.
One of the pieces of fencing smashed through the windshield of Myers' car and impaled him.
Mrs. Myers was not injured, the family relative said.
Police said Myers was removed from the car and transported to Lancaster General, where he died.
Geyer said the accident is still under investigation.
The 500 block of Millersville Road was closed for more than two hours while police and emergency crews were at the scene. It reopened shortly after 4 p.m.
According to the family relative, Myers retired last year from Armstrong World Industries ceiling plant in Marietta, where he worked for 30 years.
Myers also was a former volunteer for Vigilant Fire Company in Columbia, and he coached football and soccer for area youth leagues.
"He really was the kind of guy who offered to help anyone," the relative said.
Besides his wife, Myers is survived by a son, Jon, and a daughter, Joey Lynn Braas, both of Columbia.
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