Expect The Unexpected? Even This...

I've passed under that overpass many times... always armed.

Man on interstate highway overpass shoots and disables passing vehicle with shotgun, then attempts to rob the occupants, adding a new twist to highway robbery.

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Shotgun? One wonders why he didn't just drop a cinder block?

Some things you just can't prepare for until they happen. But in this case, since it has happened, albeit to someone else, you can prepare for it simply by finding another way to your destination.

I used to work at psychiatric hospital in NC. Lumberton was in our catchment area. Every time we had more than a couple days of rain we would get an influx of folks from Lumberton. I wonder what was washing into the groundwater down there?

One wonders why he didn't just drop a cinder block?

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That happened to my father back in 1994. He had just picked up his new truck earlier that day.

I am a 20 year resident of nearby Cumberland county. I've heard many comments about Lumberton and the level of social and criminal problems in that small town.

Shotgun? One wonders why he didn't just drop a cinder block?

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I seem to recall a couple of kids killing a pregnant woman here 15-20 years ago. They dropped a bowling ball from an overpass on I-71, if I remember correctly.

There was no intent to rob, merely to harm passing strangers.

We had a rash of kids droping rocks off a bridge in my town a while back. One went through the windshield of a car and landed in the lap of a local doctor and really messed him up. Ever since then, anytime I drive under a bridge I make a point to look up and see if anyone is standing there. It might give me a second or two to dodge if they drop something because at least I will see it coming.

This is making me more paranoid. Also another reason not to drive a convertible.

Apparently I'm not alone in that regard.

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Nope, you aren't alone. I've found myself watching overpasses ever since way back in high school when a local guy was paralyzed and his wife was also severely injured when a similar incident happened on I-95 not too far from that same overpass. Pedestrian bridges have really tall fences to curb such incidents, I wish they would do the same with highway overpasses.

Just earlier this year people were dropping rocks and stuff off the overpasses in Detroit. Some poor lady bgot hit twice in one month. She thought they were out to get her.

I always look at the overpasses. My wife was hit with a rock when driving in Fayetteville. Some punks were throwing large rocks offf the overpass. Fortunately they hit the hood of the car and it only hit the front window with a glancing blow.

And then a few years later I saw a large group of maybe 10 young people at an overpass on I'95 in Virginia. THEY were throwing rocks at cars. I slowed down, got on the shoulder, and passed under the bridge safely. On the other side of the bridge, there were at least 5 cars off the road that had been hit and damaged. Just as I was calling 911 the kids took off.

Early in my street days, I worked a fatality from a mental case dropping broken concrete off of an overpass.. the victim was 24 and 6 months pregnant... that one stuck with me... so senseless........

Yeah, if you're on a motorcycle frequently, like me, you really have to watch things.


Maybe Lumberton gets runoff from the hog lagoons at the pig farms when it rains heavily? Who knows?

Agreed, I ride about 15,000 miles per year on my Goldwing and overpasses are something I watch for. Three years ago the wife and I were coming home after a week out in our truck and camper when we were hit by something thrown from an overpass North of Sacramento. it made a 3" diameter hole in the center of the windshield but bounced off the hood and fell on the road. I never saw anyone up on the overpass but it wasn't something thrown by a car or truck because no one was near us when it happened. Really pissed me off too that was a new windshield that I'd had installed less than a month earlier.

I watch the overpasses too, for the same reason. Several years ago it was all over the local news when a pastor (IIRC) had a cinderblock come through the windshield and into his face. It didn't quite kill him but it took his sight, smell, etc. and left him disfigured. Things like this just blow my mind, like didn't the person throwing stuff realize they could kill or maim somebody?

smalls said:

Just earlier this year people were dropping rocks and stuff off the overpasses in Detroit. Some poor lady bgot hit twice in one month. She thought they were out to get her.

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I grew up in Detroit. I remember back in high school a bunch of guys got arrested for dropping the first aid dummy off the I-75/8 mile rd. overpass. If I'm not mistaken they all got charged as adults and the one that was over 18 just got out of prison in '08 (this happened in '98 or '99)

Slightly OT, but for developing situational awareness while on our roads, nothing is better than riding a motorcycle. A motorcyclist has to ride as if he/she is invisible, and everyone is out to get him/her. If you don't ride this way, your riding career will be brief.

A motorcyclist has to ride as if he/she is invisible, and everyone is out to get him/her. If you don't ride this way, your riding career will be brief

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Got the scars to prove that!

There are two kinds of people who throw things off overpasses, sociopaths and terminally stupid. Sociopaths don't care what damage they do and the terminally stupid didn't think anyone would get hurt. It's better to have freeway exits in a cloverleaf setup because you can get up on top of the overpass in time to do your duty to these people.

ForumSurfer said:

Got the scars to prove that!

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Been there too.

This is why I enjoy living in an area small enough to not have overpasses. One less thing to worry about on the road.