State troopers trying to find rock thrower along I-90
Jun 4, 2021, 3:31 PM | Updated: 3:33 pm
(WSDOT)
The Washington State Patrol is trying to track down a person spotted throwing rocks onto I-90 early Friday morning.
Rocks thrown onto I-90 injure two people, damage cars
Washington State Department of Transportation cameras showed the person throwing rocks at passing cars from a spot near Rainier Ave. around 5 a.m.
“A couple troopers chased him on foot, but were not able to apprehend him, ” Trooper Rick Johnson told KIRO Radio.
There were no reports of injuries or damage.
Trooper Johnson said state patrol is working with WSDOT to turn the camera to get a better view of the area.
Over the last few weeks, rocks, bikes, scooters, and rebar have been thrown into traffic in the same area.
“The individual that we arrested a couple of weeks ago was in mental distress,” Johnson said. “I can’t say that’s the same thing happening here. That’s the majority of the people we contact. We obviously want to give them help, but we also need the public to be safe driving along the freeway.”
At least two people were injured Tuesday night when someone threw rocks and other debris onto the freeway. A rock went through a car windshield and hit the driver in the shoulder. She was taken to a local hospital.
Hours later, a second car was hit by a rock or other debris that injured a passenger, who declined to be transferred to a hospital.
“We’ve had 46 (similar) calls into the downtown core area,” Johnson said on Thursday.
Throwing objects at cars is a crime ranging from a misdemeanor offense to felony assault if it results in severe injuries.
KIRO 7 reports that someone tossed a rental bicycle from the Denny overpass onto I-5 and into the path of oncoming traffic. The bike hit a man’s car but missed crashing through the windshield. He told KIRO 7 that the bike did $15,000 in damage.
KIRO Radio’s Heather Bosch and the KIRO Radio Newsdesk contributed to this story.