‘Just luck it wasn’t fatal’

POLICE are investigating an incident on the M1 in which a man’s car was struck by a projectile – possibly a bottle – that the driver believes was hurled from an overpass.

Warren Bray was travelling southbound on the M1 on Monday and was passing under the Hope Island overpass when his car was hit with an object that smashed his windscreen.

The Coomera man said he was driving at the 110km/h speed limit in the third lane.

He believes it was just luck that there wasn’t a fatality.

“I was heading south in the third lane when all of a sudden something caught my eye coming from the overpass,” Mr Bray said.

“It looked like a bottle and smashed into my windscreen.

“At that speed and that height it made a hell of a smash, enough to shatter my windscreen and spray glass into my lap.

“It’s just lucky I didn’t swerve or brake. It could have quite easily ended in a fatality and it’s also lucky I didn’t have my children in the car – I usually would.”

Mr Bray managed to pull over and called a tow truck.

The tow truck driver told Mr Bray the same thing had happened the night before.

“The tow truck driver said he had just spoken to an employee at the Coomera BP and they had a customer in who had been in the exact same situation the night before,” he said. “I can only assume being school holidays, I think some kid is on the overpass doing what they see as fun, which is not fun.

“I can’t imagine anyone not knowing what the implications could be.

“It’s disturbing that they see joy out of causing damage.

“It’s only when it becomes a fatality that it will hit them.”

Police have confirmed a report was made and an investigation is ongoing.

Gatenby Lawyers principal Michael Gatenby told the Gold Coast Bulletin last night that at the very least, the person who threw the object could be charged with wilful damage if the car was hit. If someone was injured, the charge could be assault or acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm.

Potts Lawyers director Bill Potts said a death would lead to a charge of manslaughter or potentially murder, if the intent had been to kill someone.