A Scots father has been left “shaken” after he and his 16-year-old daughter were sprayed with “shards of glass” when yobs launched a brick at his car from a bridge 30ft above.
Ross Napier and his daughter Isla had planned to go shopping on Thursday, December 12, at Faraday Retail Park, Coatbridge when a brick came hurtling towards his front windscreen at around 5pm from a disused railway bridge. The 46-year-old was only driving 10mph at the time. He believes that if he was driving any faster, then it could have potentially been fatal.
The Chapelhall dad said: “Just as soon as we came off the main roundabout to enter the park at 10mph, there was an almighty smash and the two of us were sprayed with shards of glass. It took me a wee second to work out what had happened. I pulled over to the side and saw the big hole in the windscreen. Witnesses said they saw people on the old and disused railway bridge above us, but they had run away.
“I phoned the police. While I was on the call, another driver came up to me and said that they had left three big dents in his van because of them as well.
“The brick came down about 30ft. Luckily it never came right through the windscreen. The full length of the windshield is cracked, though. If I was going any faster, who knows what could have happened? Things like this can be fatal. You see things on TV where it comes right through and kills people. I dare say that if I was going any faster, then it could have hit me right in the face.
“It was scary because it was pitch black and raining, then all of a sudden there was this almighty fud, and the glass was flying everywhere. The two of us got a real fright. I rolled forward in shock after it and gathered myself. My 16-year-old daughter, Isla, was quite shaken. She thought we were under attack or something. It was trying to calm her down as well.”
Ross will be without a car until the New Year, but the most important thing for him at this moment in time is to raise awareness, he continued: “I know it was a brick because there was a lot of red dust on the windscreen. I’m trying to arrange for the windscreen to be replaced, but I’m going to be without my car for three weeks, which is a nightmare.
“I’m telling my story to raise awareness. Hopefully by sharing what happened to me, it will stop others from doing it because they could end up killing someone.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 5pm on Thursday, December 12, police received a report of a car being damaged at Faraday Retail Park by a stone allegedly thrown from a bridge. Officers attended and found no trace of anyone in the area. Further enquiries are ongoing.”
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