http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-news-mentor-on-the-lake-rock-strikes-ambulance,0,6282765.story

By Ted Achladis

FOX8.com Reporter

11:35 a.m. EST, January 20, 2011

MENTOR-ON-THE-LAKE, Ohio — Fox 8 News reports that a rock struck a Mentor-on-the-Lake Rescue Squad vehicle Wednesday night, shattering its windshield.

Police in Lake County believe that someone was throwing rocks at traffic along State Route 44, one of which struck the ambulance. The rock in question was about the size of a fist.

Fortunately, nobody was injured.

The emergency medical services crew reported seeing a person in a dark hooded sweatshirt on the railroad bridge above the street. It is not certain, however, that the sighting is connected to the rock incident.

http://news-herald.com/articles/2011/01/20/news/doc4d38507c7b73f856136392.txt?viewmode=default

Mentor-on-the-Lake fire squad car damaged by someone throwing rocks off bridge

Published: Thursday, January 20, 2011

A squad car from the Mentor-on-the-Lake Fire Department was damaged Wednesday night after someone threw rocks at it from a bridge in Painesville.

At about 9:35 p.m. a squad car was traveling north on Route 44 South in Painesville, on its way back from Tri-Point Medical Center in Concord Township, when it was approaching a bridge near Jackson Street and Route 44, Fire Lt. Dave Birtley said.

As they were approaching the bridge, the driver noticed someone on top of the bridge wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt, Birtley said.

As the vehicle approached closer, two rocks hit the windshield, Birtley said.

Birtley did not know the damage amount for the vehicle but said the entire windshield must be replaced.

No one was injured during the incident and the Ohio State Highway Patrol was called to the scene, however, the suspect was not found.

I am glad no one was hurt! Very scary. I bet your brother-in-law was pretty shaken by the whole ordeal. The fact that someone would just stand around throwing rocks at cars is appalling. I hope they catch the person.

Sorry to hear this. I don't understand why people do this sort of thing, maybe they think it's just a game but it can cause serious injury or even death to those they hit.

Thank you - and I stand corrected. Jeremy was the one driving!!! When my mom called me earlier today and told me, she said he was the passenger.

I'm glad your brother-in-law is ok.

Thanks for your kind words, everyone!! Here's the story on video as aired on the 6 PM news:

http://www.fox8.com/videobeta/e7c932ce-c3b8-4907-b762-e664d03efd5e/News/Rocks-Launched-from-Overpass-Endanger-Lake-Co-Lives

That's really rotten; such a senseless thing to do.

Back in 1992 after my dad had a very bad stroke (the complications of which would soon end his life), the ambulance that took him to the hospital experienced something similarly infuriating. The driver of a blue Suburban turned right in front of the ambulance, even though it had it's siren on and the lights clearly flashing. The driver, who was obviously pushing it as my dad was comatose, had to slam on the breaks and I clearly remember lots of stuff flying in the air (I rode in the front seat). My dad was hooked up to tubes and machines; it's a true wonder he wasn't injured or compromised somehow, but he wasn't.

Anyway, sorry to detract from your story, Monika. My point is that this kind of thing is really infuriating. :mad:

^ It is indeed infuriating. Almost as infuriating are these idiot comments:

http://news-herald.com/articles/2011/01/20/news/doc4d38507c7b73f856136392.txt?viewmode=comments

Both men have wives and small children, work hard, and my brother-in-law is an elder and youth group leader at our church. How dare these idiots make remarks like this while they were simply doing their job - taking a patient to the hospital and going back to the fire station.

Not only is this incident chilling because it happened to my sister's husband, but it brings back scary memories of my car accident nearly 6 months ago. I can't even imagine how terrifying it must be to have a rock thrown at my car. I bet these cretins would be singing a different tune if it happened to them!! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Wow! Many of those comments are both totally inappropriate and extremely insensitive. The two men who were in the vehicle at the time are husbands, fathers, sons , brothers, etc. Where is the compassion for what they went through? Where is thecompassion for their families? The people who wrote those comments should be less concerned with the description of the highway and far more concerned with the human component of this story. After all if the punk who did this isn't caught they could be the next person getting a rock through their windsheild. :mad:

I thought of writing a scathing rebuttal myself, but decided it's not worth the time or energy. About the highway itself, I felt like screaming, "What's that got to do with the price of eggs?" :rolleyes:

I'm just glad to hear your brother is okay.

Thanks!!! He had the day off today, thank goodness. Hopefully he can relax and regroup.

That's just terrible, Monika. I'm so glad your brother-in-law wasn't harmed. I read a few of those nasty remarks; just so awful and undeserved. Have they caught the person (s) who did it?

We had a terrible incident here years ago when a cinder block was thrown from an overpass. It literally smashed a woman's face in. She died about a year later from complications. There are some real nutjobs around.

Thank you, Janice! Thank goodness there ARE some rational, grateful people who wrote comments on there, too.

No, the person who did this is still at large, but this railroad bridge is very close to the local supermarket. The police are watching surveillance video from the store to see if they can make an ID.

Ironically, the Jackson Street bridge mentioned, which is right by the railroad bridge, has tall chain-link fences on either side because some idiot was throwing rocks off the overpass some years ago. They need to do the same for ALL overpasses, especially the railroad bridges.

Sorry to hear this. I don't understand why people do this sort of thing, maybe they think it's just a game but it can cause serious injury or even death to those they hit.

Exactly. What kind of person would do something so stupid and dangerous?

I am so sorry! I hope everything turns out OK and this person is found! Some people are just heartless. Glad everyone is alright.
I don't understand what kind of sicko gets a thrill out of that.

Keep us updated if they find anything out...

The people who made those comments are idiots. Why are they concerned
more with proper grammar than potential injury or the potential loss of human life?

Thanks again, everyone, for your kind words and concern. They haven't caught the rock thrower yet, but I will definitely let you all know if they do. Here's a pic of the ambulance's shattered windshield: