A Brazilian pastor living in the United States says he narrowly escaped being struck by a small aircraft that crash-landed on Interstate 95 in Florida on Monday. The dramatic emergency landing, captured by a dashboard camera from another vehicle, showed the plane descending sharply before hitting a car and sliding across the highway.
Felipe Menegaz Rodrigues, originally from Barretos in São Paulo state and living in the U.S. for eight years, told local media he was just seconds away from the point of impact. He described the moment as both shocking and unforgettable, saying he believes he received what he called a divine escape. Rodrigues was not injured.
“It was incredible and frightening at the same time. I was about 30 seconds behind, and I could have been hit by that plane,” he said in a message shared with EPTV, a TV Globo affiliate. “I always say God’s hand and a prayer before leaving home make a difference. In the end, everyone was protected.”
Close call on I-95
Authorities confirmed the driver of the car struck by the aircraft suffered only minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. The pilot and passenger on board the small plane were unharmed.
Federal officials said the pilot had reported engine trouble shortly before attempting the emergency landing, which left debris scattered across the busy highway but did not cause further collisions.
The incident gained widespread attention in Florida, especially as the video clearly shows how close other drivers came to the crash site. Rodrigues’s account highlights how sudden mechanical failures can turn into dangerous moments for both pilots and motorists traveling beneath flight paths.