Yesterday was a hot day in RI-while I was driving my Hyundai Tucson around 4pm, I heard a VERY loud “Pop” sound and observed that my passenger side windshield cracked-a circle about 3-4 inches wide mid shield with several cracks extending from it. It also appeared to have a white substance in the heart of the crack.I have had rocks hit the windshield before but this sounded very different. At first I thought I had been shot at so I went to the local PD however they confirmed the powdery substance in the inner circle of the crack was not gunpowder. Has anyone out there had a similar event?
Windows crack sometimes from previous stress or heat. I had a windshield do that out of the blue one night. Yeah it’s pretty loud.
A circular crack is not a stress crack. You could analyze the residue left on the windshield to determine what struck the windshield but no matter what it was, the windshield will need to be replaced.
Most likely there was a construction truck somewhere ahead of you spewing gravel and other debris. Those guys are supposed to cover their loads and hose down the trailers so they aren’t throwing rocks at people, but they almost never do.
It might have even happened awhile ago with you not noticing the tiny little damage, and then yesterday’s weather was just right to make it crack more.
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The white residue could be from the limestone rock that hit your windshield. Very common rock used for road construction, concrete etc. When it hit your glass a bit broke off and was pulverized,
You are probably correct. I had a similar incident a few years ago, but there were no vehicles on the road but me. I decided it must have been a BB or pellet. A bullet would have gone through the window. I saw no one. The event was on a road going through a farm with open fields on both sides. Very odd.
I also considered limestone residue or possibly pulverized plastic laminate that is sandwiched inside the glass. A bullet strike would only have powder residue if it was fired at very close range.