A driver cheated death by millimetres when he crashed a metal gate smashed through his Range Rover windscreen at a Huddersfield golf club.
Ben Whiteley has described the terrifying moment his £45,000 4x4 hit the gate as he entered Bradley Park Golf Course on a Saturday morning.
Two heavy poles smashed through the windscreen, grazed his face and hit his headrest before travelling the length of the car, reports the Huddersfield Examiner.
The left hand side of his face was cut and bruised and he had shards of glass in his hair.
He mistakenly hit the car's accelerator and smashed into a second gate before coming to a halt after travelling between 50 and 100 yards.
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If his wife or child had been in the car they might have been killed, he says.
The father-of-one from Fixby believes the gate wasn't properly secured and was blown into his path as it was a windy day.
"I was driving normally, minding my own business and the next thing is I thought the airbag had gone off. It happened in an instant.
"My reaction - in panic - was to put my foot down and I went through another small gate. I managed to stop the car. I was in shock."
The two impacts ripped the car's wing off and caused damage costing around £20,000.
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Ben, 33, who runs his own recruitment company in Brighouse, has been left angry and upset following the March 9 incident.
"It should not have happened," he said.
"The gate went through the left side of the windscreen and hit the rear glass (on the passenger side).
"It must have scraped my head. I think I might have ducked. It hit the driver's headrest and went through the seat. It doesn't bear thinking about what might have happened."
A police officer who was called to the scene told Ben that he had been very lucky.
"He was shocked and said 'how the hell has this happened'?"
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Ben was checked over in hospital, had to take time off work and says what happened has health and safety implications.
"I had to take a week off work. I felt quite a lot of trauma and have been to the doctor a few times."
"I want to raise awareness to councils and privately-owned recreational sites that incidents do happen and to make sure incidents like this are reduced.
"I don't want it to happen to anyone else. It was an horrific experience and not one I would like others to suffer."
Ben has also been left feeling frustrated with the slow progress of his insurance claim.
A spokesman for Kirklees Active Leisure, which runs the golf course, said:
"The health and safety of our staff and customers is always a priority for KAL.
"We are aware of this earlier incident at Bradley Park Golf Course and have been liaising with Mr Whiteley.
"The matter is now being dealt with by KAL's insurers."
