Object dropped onto car on A38 'could have been fatal'
POLICE say there could have been "fatal consequences" after an object was believed to have been thrown at a moving car from a footbridge over the A38.
Police were called to a stretch of the road between the Manadon roundabout and the Leigham junction. Driver Brian Dix, 50, from Whitleigh, and his wife were in their blue Vauxhall Corsa travelling eastwards under a footpath.
Brian said: "I just remember glimpsing some kid on the bridge, then it was like a shotgun blast as something hit the driver's side of the windscreen.
It freaked me out but I kept the car under control and pulled onto the grass verge.
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"It was terrifying. There were shards of glass all over our clothes. What mindless idiots. The police said there was no way it was lifted up by another vehicle.
"Luckily, we were only doing around 50 miles an hour. If I was in my last car I would have been doing about 70 and it would have been much worse.
"The police were here straight away and they saw a young boy crossing on the bridge who couldn't keep from looking at us. I've had an officer call me about the incident and they said there had been a spate of these incidents happening of late. If the stone had been any bigger or I had lost control, it could've been horrendous."
A police spokesman said: "While nobody saw a stone being thrown the damage was too big to have been caused by a stone being thrown up by other vehicles on the carriageway and there were no other vehicles nearby.
"Fortunately no-one was injured but both the driver and his passenger were shocked at what happened. They have had an amazingly lucky escape. We could easily have seen fatal consequences."
Police are keen to hear from anyone who may have been in the area between 3.50pm and 4.20pm last Friday. They particularly want to hear from any schoolchildren dressed in either a burgundy or purple uniform who were at the overpass around that time.
If you can assist police contact them on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting crime reference number EL/12/4308.
Comment Page 11
Comments
by Kwacker10R
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 5:00PM
“Catch the little so and so and then they will send him on holiday!!!!”
by sidewinder
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 4:09PM
“Youth of today”
by whinger7643
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 2:40PM
“Agree with you josdave but would upgrade the charge to multiple attempted murder, this could have led to a horrific pile up from this empty headed morons action.”
by philofbudo
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 2:12PM
“@DoWhatNow - Thanks for clarifying. I had similar looking damage to the windscreen of a car of mine some years ago and there were no glass fragments on the inside of the car. Having said that, the object that hit my car hadn't fallen from a great height!”
by DoWhatNow
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 2:03PM
“@philofbudo - it's a laminated windscreen. the 'plastic' layer in the middle will mostly hold it all together in biggish chunks, but the little fragments on the inside of the windscreen around the point of impact will flake off and spray around in the inside of the car.”
by philofbudo
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 1:46PM
“The person who did this is obviously a complete moron. Sadly there's quite a number of them around.
Just an aside, and I'm not trying to underplay the effect on the victim, but, if "there were shards of glass all over our clothes" how come the windscreen, although damaged, is still intact (or is this a staged picture with him sitting in a different car)? Doesn't make the offence any less frightening - just made me curious.”
by puffing_billy
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 12:19PM
“Not the first time this has happened, and in the same place too. Some years back, a moped (of all things) was dropped from that same bridge. By sheer chance, no-one was killed. I always look for anyone on a bridge - not that I could do anything about it if anything WAS thrown of course, but I might be prepared for it if it happened.
I fully agree with BettyB - visit the local schools and SHOW these idiots what the consequences of their actions could be.”
by unclecat
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 10:56AM
“I reported to the police severalyears ago that I hd apprehended a ld wh was throwing stones at cars from the very same bridge only to be told they couldn't send anyone to deal with it. I bet if I had given him the hammering he deserved they would have sent a entire squad to arrest me. The police are bsy I agre but surely waiting until the consequences of ome rrsponsible lout to be fatal is going too far and nippig this sort of thingin the bud isthe way too.”
by TheStig
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 10:47AM
“i agree with josdave but everything is on side of the offender! and even when caught their deffence laywer will normaly play the violin or find a technicality. yesterday heres a personnel case to myself, xmas eve past i was at work when i was jumped from behind by two males who stamped kicked punched my head for several mins. they ended up being caught and was both charged with gbh with intent! one lesser charge then attempt murder. any way cctv was 100% clear witness statements absoulte solid case. then at the case review either the judge [probably under the influeance] or the cps decided to take a guilty ple of abh. a much lesser charge and offence. i belive it was the judge who accepted plea to avoid a trial. fact is even with a solid case against these ppl somewhere along the line you get rear ended. go vigilanty and your definatly going to jail. simply all in their favour!”
by Shoto45
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 10:19AM
“Education starts at home not at school age. I had this happen to me many years ago. The thought that those involved could possibly be the offspring of the ones involved at that time has crossed my mind.”