Two injured after loose tire smashes into windshield on I-80 near Gretna

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – One loose tire on Interstate 80 sent two people to a local hospital after it smashed into a vehicle’s windshield near Gretna.

Around 12:11 p.m., an eastbound Dodge Avenger lost a tire near the Gretna exit.

That tire then rolled into oncoming traffic in the westbound lanes and struck a semi, according to the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office.

The tire kept rolling and eventually made its way into a Honda CR-V’s windshield, injuring the driver, 51-year-old Mara Gott.

With Gott unable to drive, the passenger was able to get the vehicle to a rest area, where it came to a stop against a tree.

Gott was flown to Bergan Mercy Medical Center in Omaha.  The passenger was taken in an ambulance to the same hospital, the sheriff’s office said.

The extent of their injuries is unknown.

The South Metro Crash Response Team has since begun an investigation.