It is distressing to read or watch reports about items being thrown from overpasses and hurting vehicle operators and/or their passengers. 
Professional truck drivers who are paid to transport products from place to place are among those who get hurt by such maliciousness.
Let’s get one thing straight:
It is not funny to drop something on a moving vehicle just to watch what will happen.
Not only will the vehicles be struck, but the smashed windshields could cause great physical impairment to the driver.
There could be an impending wreck and even a chain reaction.
Obviously, a serious incident could require repair for the vehicle and medical care for the victim, both of which can be very costly.
The only way we know to help in situations like this is to:
- list reports about these incidents, the locations where they took place and the dates when they occurred;
- provide a few money saving tips;
- ask you to contact law enforcement to report an incident; and
- urge you to help us minimize the number of hurt truckers by keeping the list of incident reports up-to-date.
Reports about Items Thrown from Overpasses
Note: Not all of the vehicles in the reports are large trucks, nor did all incidents result in smashed windshields.
However all reports referenced trucks. They are listed in reverse chronological order for 2011.
[su_table responsive=”yes” alternate=”yes” fixed=”no” class=””]
| Article and link | Location | Date of Article |
|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin thrown from overpass busts truck windshield (1) | Creek Turnpike in Broken Arrow, OK | November 3, 2011 |
| Driver inhaled glass when pumpkin crashed through windshield (2) | Hagerman Road overpass, I-380, near Cedar Rapids, Iowa | October 10, 2011 |
| Rocks thrown from overpass damages three trucks (3) | Highway 401, Ontario, CAN | September 16, 2011 |
| Teens Who Threw Cups, Causing Crash, Could Face Felony (link) | Ozaukee County, Wisconsin | August 24, 2011 |
| Concrete thrown over I-75 overpasses (video) (link) | I-75 near Ohio border, Monroe County, Ohio | August 24, 2011 |
| Thrown rocks damage vehicles along I-64 (4) | Pines Chapel bridge, I-64, Hampton, Virginia; I-264 in Portsmouth |
August 16, 2011 |
| Two arrested for throwing objects off overpass, hitting vehicles(5) | Overpass at milepost 23 on I-57 in Pulaski County, Illinois | February 18, 2011 |
[/su_table]
It appears from a May 9, 2012 article that items thrown out of vehicle windows can also do damage to trucks and truckers.(6) Another article said it was a paper cup.(7)
Money saving tip: If you see people standing on and looking out on an overpass, see if you can switch lanes.
Be aware of sudden slowdowns or braking on the road in front of you near overpasses.
Make sure that your windshield is made of “shatterproof” material.
If you know of more money saving tips for this article, contact us.
Return from Items Thrown From Overpasses Smash Windshields and Hurt Truckers to our Truck Operations page or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
Reference:
1. www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=19897 (no longer online)
2. thegazette.com/2011/10/10/driver-inhaled-glass-when-pumpkin-crashed-through-windshield/ (no longer online)
3. cd989.com/2011/09/rocks-thrown-from-overpass-damages-three-trucks/ (no longer online)
4. www.fox43tv.com/dpps/news/local/hampton/wavy-thrown-rocks-damage-vehicles-along-i-64-al_3914637 (no longer online)
5. www.kfvs.com/story/14059408/two-arrested-for-throwing-object-off-overpass?redirected=true (no longer online)
6. www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=236230 (no longer online)
7. www.myfoxal.com/story/18310791/paper-cup-shatters-windshield-of-truck-driver (no longer online)
