Thugs who threw stones at cars from bridge ‘will kill someone’
A MOTORIST who was targeted by mindless thugs dropping heavy objects onto passing cars from above has called for the installation of safety measures on bridges.
Freddie Sands said someone is going to be killed if the attacks continue.
It comes after police revealed how a woman is lucky to be alive after her car was hit by a large object thrown from the footbridge near Craigavon’s Rushmere Shopping Centre at the weekend.
The windscreen shattered in front of the woman as she was driving the car on Lake Road.
It is the latest in a series of attacks on vehicles on the stretch.
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Sands told how he was caught up in a similar incident previously.
He said a cage-type device, similar to the one fitted above the Westlink in Belfast, is needed.
The Lurgan man was travelling from his home to the Rushmere centre when a group of youths threw a breeze block onto the traffic below.
He said: “I was really shocked when I heard about how this lady had her windscreen smashed by something thrown onto her car from the footbridge because the same thing happened to me a while back.
“I was going to Rushmere with my wife and noticed one guy in particular, but I think there were three or four of them hanging about.
“The next thing I knew, he dropped a breeze block which bounced right in front of our car which thankfully didn’t smash our windscreen, but bits of it broke off and hit our car.
“I stopped the car but they ran off, thinking it was great fun, but someone is going to be killed if this isn’t stopped.
“Unfortunately the woman driving on Sunday evening had her car badly damaged, but at least she wasn’t badly injured.
“But I know how shocked she must have been because it was an awful shock for me and my wife the day it happened to us.
“They need to put the same cage they put on the Westlink to protect drivers from these attacks.”
Police believe a crowd of young people in their early teens and “possibly younger” were in the area at the time of the attack on Sunday night.
The woman, although deeply shocked, managed to keep her vehicle under control.
However, police said she could have been killed or could have swerved into oncoming traffic.
Craigavon police posted details of the attack on its Facebook page where dozens of other people shared their experiences of similar attacks.
A police spokesman warned parents to make their children aware of the consequences if they are involved.
He said: “Parents, we could have been dealing with another death on our roads.
“Not due to driver error, speed, mobile phone, or inattention, but due to one of your children.
“If you’re reading this and you know who did it, please let us know.
“More importantly, parents, someone out there needs to instil a sense of responsibility and consequences to their child.
“This could have been death. Let the fact that it isn’t be a chance for education. Talk to your kids — now.”