TWO people are lucky to be alive today after the car they were travelling in careered off the A14 when a brick was hurled from a bridge.The terrifying incident happened at the Ipswich Asda turn-off of the busy dual carriageway when a brick was thrown from the A1156 bridge at a Ford Focus below.
TWO people are lucky to be alive today after the car they were travelling in careered off the A14 when a brick was hurled from a bridge.
The terrifying incident happened at the Ipswich Asda turn-off of the busy dual carriageway when a brick was thrown from the A1156 bridge at a Ford Focus below.
The car's windscreen smashed and the driver, believed to be a man from Bury St Edmunds, lost control of the vehicle, veering off the road and smashing into an embankment and trees.
The driver was treated by paramedics but was not seriously injured while the passenger escaped harm.
Police have slammed the mindless act and are calling for anyone with information to come forward.
Inspector Matt Dee of Suffolk police said the incident in Ipswich could have been just as bad.
He said: “The potential is that we could have had a catastrophic incident.
“If a driver loses control of their vehicle there is considerable potential for loss of life and certainly serious injury.
Jo Stagg, spokeswoman for Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: “As this incident shows dropping or throwing objects from the bridge on to traffic below is extremely dangerous. It can have serious consequences, even resulting - as we have seen in the past - with the death of a driver.
“Even small objects, such as stones, when dropped from heights can cause severe damage.”
Friday's incident comes less than two weeks after a South African lorry driver was killed after being hit by a brick thrown by three boys standing on an overhead bridge.
The brick smashed through the vehicle's windscreen and hit Michael Tukwayo, 45, in the chest.
Meanwhile, in 2003 Michael Little of Hornchurch, Essex, died from heart failure after a brick thrown from a footbridge on the M3 hit him in the chest.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Pc Danny Ormes based at the road policing unit in Martlesham on 01473 613500.
Do you know the people who escaped serious injury on the A14? Contact The Evening Star newsdesk on 01473 324788.
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