An Ottawa woman says she's thankful to be alive and will never be able to shake the feeling she had the moment a rock smashed into her windshield, shattering the glass and causing her to go into a flash of panic.

Kyla Helpin was driving down Carp Road Friday afternoon when a rock came hurling at her vehicle. Witnesses say the rock flew off the bed of a large truck before it smashed into her car.

"I feel very grateful for my life. I'm grateful that it's me telling this story and not my family," Helpin told CTV Ottawa on Monday.

"Opening my eyes and seeing my windshield smashed. I had glass in my mouth. I had blood on my hands. And I didn't know my face was cut."

The frame of the windshield took some of the hit, preventing the rock from going right through the glass. The situation could have been worse.

"A couple of inches is pretty critical in that spot there," said Will Robertson, who is fixing the car at his auto body shop.

"It's lucky it hit the sheet metal instead of going through the window."

In October 2010, a father of two was not so lucky. Jason Birch, 34, was driving on the same road when a rock went straight through his windshield, killing him.

Birch's family says the latest incident shows the need for something to be done.

"This is not an isolated incident. It is amazing to hear from others how frequent this happens, although not to this extent. It only takes half a second or a couple inches to turn it into a tragedy," said Jeff Birch, Jason's brother.

Helpin says it's scary to think the same thing could have happened to her. And it highlights the need to prevent future incidents.

"They definitely need to do something. They need to review their regulations, their policies, because this shouldn't happen. This is something that is not necessary," Helpin told CTV Ottawa.

Although there are regulations in place over transporting large loads under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act, fines for unsecured loads are low, ranging from $130 to $310.

Coun. Eli El-Chantiry says he plans to discuss the issue with the police and the city's traffic department.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's John Hua