PCSD: Saguaro busts through car windshield in Tucson crash; driver possibly impaired

TUCSON, Ariz. (FOX 10) - A Tucson driver is lucky to be alive after a saguaro busted through his windshield during a crash.

Deputy Daniel Jelineo with Pima County Sheriff's Department says the driver crossed a lane of traffic at 9:20 a.m. near 1st Avenue and Agave in Catalina Foothills.

He crossed through a median and collided with a saguaro that eventually crashed right through his windshield.

The driver only suffered minor injuries, according to Deputy Jelineo. However, he says the driver showed signs of impairment and was taken into custody.

The driver's name has not yet been released. The fact that the driver was not killed was a shock to Claudia Figueroa. Her company, Arizona Cactus Experts, deals with the removal and maintenance of the might desert plants every day.

"I saw the picture. That was so bad," said Figueroa. "I have never seen something like that before, but that can kill the person that was driving, and yea, they don't have to be too big to cause a lot of damage. That one right there, it could be one ton or 1,000 pounds."

FOX 10 reported on this story from Phoenix.