A 52-year-old woman had a near brush with death when rocks were thrown from a home made slingshot at a car she was a passenger in.
Police are investigating the incident which occurred when rocks were thrown from near an overhead railway bridge at Lapstone over the weekend. It was one of four incidents after four cars were damaged over two days.
Just after 9am on Sunday (May 18), a black Subaru Outback was travelling west along the Great Western Highway when a large rock was thrown at a car from the direction of an overhead bridge, police said.
The impact caused glass to shatter and hit the woman, who suffered cuts to her lips and chin and was treated at the scene.
A short time later, a white Nissan Navara, driven by a 43-year-old man, was hit by a large rock at the same location.
The rock hit the roof but the man and his seven-year-old daughter escaped injury.
A witness to the event, Tony Cauchi, narrowly missed disaster as a rock was thrown at his ute shortly afterwards, hitting the top of his ute, as he was driving up Lapstone Hill. He told the Gazette “the lady in the passenger side of the other car was extremely lucky to walk away with glass cuts to the face, I am surprised that the rock didn’t go through the windscreen, the outcome would have been a fatal for sure”.
About the same time, a westbound minibus was also struck with a large rock as it neared the overhead bridge. No-one on board was injured.
Police were alerted, and officers from Blue Mountains Local Area Command attended and commenced inquiries.
Officers found a homemade slingshot in bush near the bridge. It has been sent for forensic examination. Sunday’s incidents follow at least one similar rock attack at the same location on Saturday (May 17). Just after 4pm on that day, a rock struck the windscreen of a van with 19 passengers on board. No-one was injured in this incident.
Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incidents or any suspicious behaviour in the area to come forward.
