Police investigate more objects falling from overpass onto passing cars

KCNC

By Olivia Young

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    DENVER, Colorado (KCNC) — Police in Colorado are investigating reports of objects falling or being thrown onto cars. Westminster police say in the early hours of Saturday morning, two different drivers reported an object falling onto their cars from the same overpass.

Whatever the object was, it was heavy enough to damage at least one windshield. Police say it happened near West Church Ranch Boulevard and Wadsworth Boulevard beneath the Zephyr Street overpass.

“It was just very surreal,” Westminster resident Roxanne Bingham said. “It’s one of those things where you read about it and you hear about it, but you don’t expect it to happen to you.”

Like many in the Denver metro area, Bingham was shocked and appalled by the 2023 rock-throwing attacks that killed Alexa Bartell.

“It was a big fear, actually, because they hadn’t caught them yet,” Bingham said of the suspects, who were arrested a week after Bartell’s death.

But more than two years later, that fear was far from her mind as she drove home from a Friday evening at a friend’s house.

“I usually take that route home, go up Wadsworth, turn right on Church Ranch, and then go under the train tracks,” Bingham said.

While driving east on Church Ranch Road and passing under the Zephyr Road overpass around 12:45 a.m., Bingham says a large white object crashed down onto her windshield.

“I was just vibing along to my music, whatever. And then it just, literally, just fell out of the sky,” Bingham said.

She estimates the object was at least six inches in diameter. She believes it was either a chunk of ice or a rock. The weather on Saturday was warm, and there was no snow or ice on the ground.

“It was obviously really heavy and dense because it smashed the windshield,” Bingham said.

The object cracked her windshield and bounced off, but did not injure Bingham.

“Pretty dead center, maybe a little bit to the left on the driver’s side,” she said. “It did knock my rear-view mirror off of the window.”

“I was very freaked out when it happened, and I kind of just went into shock,” she continued. “Oh, my God, someone’s doing that again.”

Bingham drove to a nearby parking lot and called 911. While she couldn’t see up onto the overpass, she instantly thought of the rock-throwing incidents.

The incident came just hours after the second out of three defendants was sentenced in Bartell’s death.

“I don’t know why someone would think to do it again. I don’t know if they want their, like, their five seconds of fame,” Bingham said.

Westminster police say another driver reported hearing something strike their roof while going under the same overpass the same night. That driver reported no damage or injuries. Police say they have no indication right now that the objects were rocks.

“Even today still, like, a little just shaken up by the whole thing,” Bingham said on Tuesday.

Bingham is getting her windshield replaced. She says she’ll avoid driving in the area and will be cautious of bridges for some time.

“The other day, we were coming home, actually, from the same friend’s house, and I took a different route because I was- didn’t want to have to be afraid of that again,” she said.

Bingham feels lucky she wasn’t injured, but worries someone else could be. She hopes the people behind throwing the objects are caught.

“If you drive in the area, or if you have kids too, just be really careful at night, because I think I was just going by at the wrong time. I don’t think I personally was targeted. So it really could happen to anyone,” Bingham said.

Westminster police did not locate any suspects when they responded, but they are investigating.

If you believe you have any surveillance or dashcam video of this incident, or if something like this happened to you, reach out to Westminster police at 303-658-4360.

“We take these incidents very seriously and will not tolerate this behavior,” a statement from the Westminster Police Department read, in part. “Public safety is our top priority, and we urge everyone to recognize the severe risks and legal consequences of such reckless actions. If you witness anyone throwing objects at vehicles, call 911 immediately.”

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