Police: Woman drove several miles with road sign sticking out of car

Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Police in New Jersey said a woman drove for about 16 miles while apparently oblivious to a road sign sticking out from the sunroof of her car.

South Hackensack Police said an officer spotted the vehicle about 12:45 a.m. Saturday with a traffic sign protruding from its sunroof and followed the car into the parking lot of the Plaza 46 diner.

"She stopped, because she stated that she heard a strange noise coming from underneath her vehicle," Officer David Polanco told CBS New York.

Polanco said the woman told him she was unaware of the sign, despite the steel pole being only inches from her head.

"When I pointed it out to her, she said, 'wow, I didn't even know that was there,'" Polanco said. "But there was glass all over the inside of the car and all over the top of the car."

Polanco said the sign could have severely injured or even killed the driver if it had been only a couple inches closer to her head.

"If there was anybody in the backseat, it could have been a lot worse, as well," Polanco said.

Police said the woman apparently struck the sign, which gave directions to a New Jersey Transit bus, about 16 miles away in Secaucus.

The driver, Maria Vazquez, 52, was arrested on charges of careless driving and driving while intoxicated.

"I've never seen anything like it," Polanco said.