Mum-to-be in near crash after boy hurls box at car screen
APREGNANT social worker nearly crashed after teenage yobs threw a cardboard box at her windscreen.
Christina Pearson, 25, was driving along Fylde Road, Marshside, on Hallowe’en when she saw two boys dressed in black, with one carrying the large box.
As she got closer, one of the boys hurled the box at her car, causing her to brake sharply and come close to a crash with the vehicle behind.
The boy who threw the box ran off, but the other stayed on the spot, laughing at what had happened.
Christina, who is seven months pregnant, said that when she confronted the boy he calmly replied: “What? I didn’t throw it.”
The social worker said she was terrified by the incident, which came just months after she moved from High Park, where she had experienced nothing like it.
She said: “I was driving home down Fylde Road and spotted them with this massive box and thought ‘what are they doing with that?’ because he was only small.
“As I past, he just threw it. There was a car behind me and it was near a junction so it was so dangerous.
“It was horrifying, I pulled over and rang my boyfriend because I was so shook-up. It sounds silly but I’ve not driven down the road since.”
A number of similar incidents occurred on Hallowe’en and the night before, often known as Mischief Night, with police recording a sharp increase of items being thrown at vehicles in Merseyside.
Posts on social media reported eggs being thrown at car windscreens near the town centre, while shocking incidents elsewhere in the county included bricks being aimed at emergency service vehicles.
Merseyside police said that the number of crimes reported on October 30 and 31 was down from last year, but the number of incidents involving items thrown at vehicles rose by 50%.
The commander for the policing operation, T/
Supt Paddy Kelly, said: “The period between October 30 and November 5 is often a busy time for police and I’m disappointed to report that again this year, we’ve seen a number of emergency service vehicles damaged by young people throwing items including bricks at them.
“This means that some first responders have been unable to attend emergency calls due to their vehicle being damaged.
“It is shocking that anyone would find it acceptable to put our officers, staff and partners at risk and potentially deny a member of the public the emergency service they require.
“It’s not big and it’s not clever - it’s criminal and could have serious or fatal consequences.
“I have asked before and I will ask again, to those committing these stupid acts of criminality: how would you feel if a police car or ambulance wasn’t able to get to your house, to your grandparents’ house, to your girlfriend’s house and they were left to suffer simply because a burning wheelie bin was in the road or the patrol car was now unsuitable to drive due to the windows being smashed? I’m sure you would soon reconsider your actions.
“This festive period should be fun and we actively encourage our communities to come together and celebrate Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night, but to do so safely.”