A CARLTON woman had a lucky escape when a metal pole flew off the back of a truck and smashed through her car windscreen, narrowly missing her and stopping in front of the steering wheel.

Mother-of-one Lee Leonard was on her way to work at a hairdresser's in Cronulla about 11am last Thursday when the accident happened on Captain Cook Bridge, Sans Souci.

The one-metre pole bounced off the bonnet of a car in front of hers before landing centimetres away from Ms Leonard.

``It was awful,'' she said.

``I was just driving to work and then it was like an explosion in the car.''

Ms Leonard was in the middle lane and managed to pull over to the side of the road, as did the other car that was hit.

The truck did not stop.

She was wearing a cross on a necklace at the time.

``The paramedic said to me: `The only thing that saved you was that thing around your neck'. I was

so close to death.''

Miss Leonard does not think the truck driver was even aware of what had happened. She has called on truckies to make sure they secure their loads.

``There was a woman and her daughter in the car in front of me and I was on my own in my car, so it's three people that are very lucky to be alive,'' she said.

Her car has since been repaired but Miss Leonard says it has made her a nervous driver.

Detective Acting Inspector Trent King, of St George police, called on truck drivers to take extra care to ensure loads are tied down.

``We are very fortunate that we haven't got anyone in hospital with this,'' he said.