Wind-whipped fencing slams into vehicle near North Main St construction site

A Rochester patrolman fills out a report while talking with Shannon O'Toole of Rochester as a construction boss looks on. (Rochester Voice photo)

ROCHESTER - A Rochester woman's car was damaged in the downtown on Monday when a wind-whipped section of metal fencing became detached at a construction site and was blown into her vehicle.

Shannon O'Toole said she was traveling south in the area of the ongoing construction at 45-55 North Main St. when the large section of fencing struck the front driver's side of her car.

The damage was pretty significant, but construction officials on site said they'd be taking care of any costs for repair.

O'Toole, a combat veteran who served in the Mideast, said she was pretty terrified when she chunk of metal slammed into her SUV.

"I thought it was an IED (Improvised Explosive Device)," she said.

At the time she was traveling through she was carrying two caged service dogs she's been working with to prepare them for delivery to combat veterans suffering from PTSD.

She said she'd already trained 17 service dogs and was looking forward to training her two new pupils.

Despite the fright, O'Toole took what could have been an unnerving episode and laughed it off, joking with one construction official, who was very apologetic for what happened.