3 more incidents with debris thrown onto Seattle freeway, with another suspect arrested
Jul 12, 2021, 3:14 PM | Updated: Jul 13, 2021, 6:06 am
The Seattle area continues to see a rash of incidents where debris is thrown onto freeways. (Washington State Patrol)
(Washington State Patrol)
Washington State Patrol has made another arrest for a suspect alleged to have thrown debris onto a local freeway, while responding to two other incidents as well.
3 more cars damaged by concrete thrown onto Seattle freeway
The arrest was made after a witness called 911 and told dispatchers that they had seen a man throwing debris onto westbound I-90 near Rainier Avenue around 4 a.m. on July 10. Troopers were able to locate the suspect in the immediate area, identifying him as a 35-year-old male.
The suspect told troopers that he had ingested heroin shortly before he was arrested, and was transported to Harborview Medical Center as a result. He was then medically cleared and booked into jail for reckless endangerment, malicious mischief, and criminal trespass.
No vehicles were struck by the debris thrown onto I-90.
Another two incidents were also reported Monday morning. One occurred around 3 a.m. on westbound I-90 — again in the Rainier Avenue area — where a suspect seen wearing a tan hat, black jacket, and headlamp was walking through lanes of I-90 while throwing debris. The second was roughly an hour later in the same area, with a person seen pushing a shopping cart along a freeway lane, eventually throwing a rock through a driver’s windshield.
Mistaken arrest made for man suspected of throwing rocks onto freeway
Authorities were unable to locate either suspect.
Washington State Patrol estimates that it has responded to over 160 reports of rocks being thrown onto freeways in King County so far this year. That includes one instance where a vehicle took $15,000 in damage from a Lime electric scooter thrown onto the roadway from the I-5 overpass in downtown Seattle. Many of these incidents have been reported near Seattle’s Mount Baker Tunnel and Rainier Avenue exits.
Throwing objects at cars is a crime ranging from a misdemeanor offense to felony assault if it results in severe injuries.
The State Patrol has made numerous arrests in recent weeks, but warns that “there are more individuals committing this dangerous crime” still at large. Anyone who witnesses debris being thrown onto a freeway should call 911 with a location and description of the suspect.
“All agencies involved NEED the public’s help,” WSP said in a news release.
