‘We don’t feel safe:’ Another driver falls victim to I-90 rock thrower

A rock thrower has hit drivers again near Interstate 90 (I-90) and Rainier Avenue.

Luis Leon told KIRO Newsradio he was driving his Hyundai Tuscon to a soccer match when he got off the freeway at Rainier Avenue, and then he noticed what he thought was snow falling in front of his car.

“I just saw something white falling from the sky,” he said.

But the Washington State Patrol said it was a rock, thrown down onto drivers from a suspect on the bike path above.

“And then immediately, my car started doing weird things,” Leon added.

He drove a small distance away before realizing he had driven over top of a rock – a big one.

“It must (have been) the size of a small, medium dog,” he said. “When I bypassed that rock, I saw a car on the right side stopped with his window totally smashed. The backside of his car was totally smashed.”

That’s when he realized someone intentionally tried to hit him with the stone.

Leon said he’s thankful no one was hurt. For his own safety, he credits the fact he was already slowing down before the rock was thrown. Otherwise, he said, it would have plummeted through his panoramic sunroof.

“If that rock fell on the top of my car, I don’t know what could have happened to me,” he said. “I have no idea, and I don’t want to figure it out and I hope we never figure it out.”

Greg Wallen lives in the area and saw the police response.

“Both over Rainier Avenue and the on-ramp – they’re both pretty high up, so that’s a lot of force coming down,” he said.

But Leon wasn’t completely spared. He said the bottom of his car was heavily damaged.

“There was liquid coming out of my car, the under(side) of the car was destroyed and I didn’t feel safe to drive,” he said.

Damage under a victim’s car as he ran over a large rock thrown from above onto I-90. (Photo: Luis Leon)

His Hyundai was towed from the scene to his house, and then again from his house to the mechanic. At the time of publication, he said he is awaiting a quote for the cost of the repairs.

“The damage to my car is the least important right now,” he said.

Leon worries that if left unchecked, someone will eventually be hit and seriously injured or killed.

“It makes no sense to me,” he said. “I was just going to a soccer match, right? And that was it. To me, this is very dangerous. It’s not just someone doing graffiti or vandalizing. I’m surprised that no one was hurt. Like very surprised. We were very lucky.”

Washington State Patrol (WSP) Trooper Rick Johnson said the rock was thrown at Leon’s Hyundai around 8:40 Wednesday night. It’s the same area where at least four other drivers have been hit since June.

“A 9-1-1 caller reported someone that was on a bicycle on a bike pass near Rainier Avenue and southbound I-90 was throwing rocks,” Johnson said.

NEW: Another rock throwing hits drivers on I-90 near the Rainier Avenue exit.

It’s the third similar attack in three months here, and still no reports of any arrests. pic.twitter.com/TcABDeX5EP

— Sam Campbell (@HeySamCampbell) September 19, 2024

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Johnson said WSP, along with the Seattle police, rushed to the area but were unable to local any suspects.

Two cars on the on-ramp to eastbound 90 were hit but neither of the drivers were hurt.

September’s I-90 rock throwing incident not the first time

However, it’s not the first time drivers on the Rainier Avenue exits escaped being killed by rocks.

“You’re driving, and it kind of startles you for sure,” Frank Reyes, whose car got hit by a rock in previous incidents, told KIRO Newsradio. “Man, someone could get hurt.”

On July 9 around 5 a.m., three drivers on I-90 were hit by bricks.

Area when rock throwing incidents have occurred. (Google Maps)

In June, a couple getting off the highway had a rock thrown through their windshield.

“It’s something to be concerned about,” Reyes said. “There’s lots of traffic and there’s enough for people to be worried about without thinking about getting hit by rocks.”

Troopers are not linking the incidents.

Past incidents: I-90 brick-throwing suspect ‘could be’ same man who threw rocks at drivers in June

“There’s a certain sense of lawlessness,” Reyes said. “These are the times that we are in.”

At the time of publication, no arrests in any of the three rock-throwing incidents have been reported. Leon expressed frustration at what he considered to be a nonchalant attitude from law enforcement.

“I don’t understand how this is not a priority,” he said. “To me, it’s someone with a gun – like a rock that big is a gun – it can cause a lot of harm.”

Neighbors are worried and said they don’t want to wait for a deadly surprise to call police.

“This is what worries me and my family,” Leon said. “We don’t feel safe walking outside, and now, we’re not feeling safe driving.”

Contributing: Bill Kaczaraba and Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories here. Follow Sam on X, or email him here.

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