INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - Rock-throwing vandals have struck again, hitting cars from an overpass near downtown.
Police made arrests in prior cases, including one where the act was caught on security cameras.
The latest incident happened early Sunday at the railroad overpass just south of Terrace and Madison Avenues, near the south side of downtown.
- RELATED: Teens arrested for throwing rocks
Ben Erickson was driving north on Madison on a quiet early morning.
"It scared the crap out of me, it really did," Erickson said. "It's super loud. I thought possibly a tire blew. I didn't know what could have happened."
What happened was another rock attack. His car was hit by a piece of railroad ballast - a very big, heavy stone.
"(There) was probably 15 kids standing right on the edge of the road and we watched them sling rocks," Erickson said."Bounce them off the sides of cars, possibly broke a window on one."
He pointed out damage to his car, large gouges through the paint.
Even though police have made arrests, the incidents continue, and Ben says it's about a lot more than banged up sheet metal.
"If I were to react more sudden I could've crashed, hit somebody, drove on the sidewalk, anything, but dangerous for other people and me," he said.
He fears a driver could be so startled he might even swerve into a bridge abutment.
When it happened to him Sunday, he circled around and called police. Then, when he parked nearby, he saw those 15 teens "throw rocks at probably 5 to 10 other vehicles. And just, I mean, it's just unacceptable."
Shaun Case has seen the rock hurlers in action.
"They're not being aware of their actions. And if they knew, their parents should be spending more time with their kids.
Kyle Campbell agrees. He remembers those rocks when his car was targeted on Rural.
"The rocks just come on the car. The window was smashed up and everything. It's pretty crappy."
Erickson says police are doing what they can. He wants the rock throwers to wake up.
"I don't enjoy that, and I don't enjoy paying to get that fixed."
Over the last couple months, there have been at least two other instances where teens have been spotted and caught. In one case, security cameras actually caught the suspects in the act, throwing rocks onto South Madison Avenue. That video helped lead police to an arrest.
It's not yet clear if this incident is related to the previous strikes.
Meanwhile, if you have information that can help police identify the teenagers behind the latest attack, call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.
