Above: The impaled car after the fire was out, on Route 4 near the Middle Road overpass. Photo courtesy of EGFD

A driver walked away unharmed after he allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel heading south on Route 4 in East Greenwich early Monday morning (12/4/23). According to State Police, he drifted into the guardrail, which impaled the car straight through the middle. 

The driver got out of the car unscathed and the car then burst into flames. 

“The guard rail must have sparked something in the car,” said EGFD Capt. Tom Mears. EG

State Police Lt. Charles LeValley of the Wickford Barracks said the accident occurred at 1:21 a.m. about 100 yards north of the Middle Road overpass. 

He said the driver, who remained unidentified, had fallen asleep. Officers are trained to check for any signs of intoxication and none were reported.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Mears of the driver’s escape. “It’s a miracle.” He said he’d never seen anything like this in his 32 years of firefighting. “He wasn’t hurt – he’s just the luckiest kid in the world.”

An EGFD firefighter works to put out the early morning (12/4/23) car fire on Route 4. Photo courtesy of EGFD

The car is fully engulfed. Photo courtesy of EGFD

The car drove right into the guard rail and kept going. Photo courtesy of EGFD