Trimley St Mary: Bridge missile terror

TRIMLEY ST MARY: “Next time someone could die”.

That’s the stark warning from a councillor after youths threw rocks and large pieces of concrete at vehicles from a flyover on the A14 at Trimley St Mary.

Police are today investigating after five vehicles were targeted with the missiles on the eastbound carriageway which smashed the windscreens of a lorry and an ambulance, which was on the way to a call-out, yesterday afternoon.

John Goodwin, county councillor for Felixstowe North and Trimley, urged officers to “come down hard” on the perpetrators if caught.

He said: “The message to those responsible is this, think it through what you are doing.

“And to police, if you catch them, hit them as hard as you can. Next time someone could die.

“Somebody’s gone and chucked something off a bridge and that is unforgivable.”

The ambulance was en route to an urgent GP call to a woman who was feeling unwell when its screen was shattered by the missile.

Daimon Wheddon, clinical operations manager for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust in Suffolk, said: “If this was a deliberate act then I hope the perpetrators can be tracked down.

“It’s a despicable thing to risk so many lives in such a mindless way.”

Members of the community have reacted with disbelief after the incident which is thought to have been carried out by a group of eight to 12 youngsters during a 20-minute period at around 4.30pm yesterday.

Mary Dixon, chairman of Trimley St Mary parish council, said: “We are very concerned about this, it’s terribly dangerous.

“It sounds like a copycat crime, the missiles were smaller here but that doesn’t make it any better.”

While landlord of The Three Mariners Dave Atkinson labelled the behaviour “disgraceful”.

Sergeant Julian Ditcham, from Suffolk’s roads policing unit, said: “There were five events of young people throwing mud, rocks and large pieces of concrete at passing vehicles on the eastbound carriageway of the A14.

“This is the second event in recent weeks that Suffolk police have dealt with in relation to incidents of this kind.

“The risk of danger to road users is severe with the potential to cause life threatening or fatal situations due to sheer stupidity.

“Suffolk police are investigating these incidents and takes them very seriously.

“Motorists are warned to be extra vigilant particularly near bridges and flyovers.

“The perpetrators need to understand the consequences of their actions and the risk of danger to road users.”

The roads policing unit, Essex police and the firearms unit attended the incident in which no-one was injured but the vehicle occupants were left shocked.

The reports come just a fortnight after two incidents where concrete blocks were thrown off a bridge along the A12 in Essex seriously injuring one woman, and another incident on the A14 in Haughley on December 8.

Anyone with information should call Suffolk police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.