Wind gust almost blows teenage driver over a bridge

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By Steve Alexander Reporter

M50o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr Wind gust almost blows teenage driver over a bridge

Published: Wed, March 05, 2008 - 11:27 pm
Last Updated: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 11:42 pm

Steve Alexander

An 18 year old from Gulf Breeze, Florida tells a horrifying story of a brush with death: all because a gust of wind.
Clayton Walden says it happened Monday when the SUV he was driving turned over on the Three Mile Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
Walden says he when he changed lanes, a wind gust estimated at 30 to 35 miles per hour struck the bridge.
He says, "The whole drive the car was shaking because the winds were really high. I had switched my car into the right lane and the wind kind of shuffled my back tires into the wall. So I just turned my wheel and I rolled. When I rolled my car, it hit the outside rail, and the tires went over and I slid about twenty yards down."
Walden's mother says she first heard about the accident when she got a call on her cell phone.
Jean Walden says Clayton told her, " 'Mom, I'm in a car accident on the bridge. Can you come?' I said, 'Okay, son, I'm picking up Madelyn (Clayton's sister). I'll be right there. ' I turned around and Madelyn comes running to me and she goes 'Mom, I just got two voice mails. Clayton's on the bridge. His car is over the bridge and he's dead.' Well, I knew he wasn't dead, I just talked to him, but he didn't mention the car was over the bridge."
The Waldens can relax now, but Clayton is happy he had on one special piece of safety equipment.
He says he thinks if he would be dead if he didn't have a seat belt on.
Walden says the only injury he suffered was a bruise from the seat belt.
Stay tuned to WKRG News Five and log on to wkrg.com for updated news.

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