Rock thrown from I-79 overpass injures driver
WAYNESBURG – A motorist traveling on Interstate 79 suffered a broken arm Tuesday night when a large rock was thrown from an overpass near the Ruff Creek exit and crashed through the center of his windshield, state police Sgt. Steven Dowlin said.
Adam Harlow of Morgantown, W.Va., was driving south on the interstate shortly after 9 p.m. when someone standing on the North Porter Street overpass in Franklin Township threw the rock the size of a football, which landed in his SUV’s empty passenger seat, Dowlin said.
Harlow suffered a severely broken right arm, Dowlin said, but he was able to call emergency dispatchers and continue driving south to meet state police and paramedics at the Waynesburg exit.
“It could have been even more devastating,” Dowlin said. “I don’t think people realize the magnitude of how devastating throwing a large rock or other items from an overpass onto a freeway can be.”
Harlow was transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown for treatment on his broken arm. A hospital operator said he was listed in good condition Wednesday afternoon.
Dowlin said they have no description of the person who threw the rock, but are asking the public to contact them at the Waynesburg barracks at 724-627-6151 if anyone saw something suspicious. He also asked motorists to be aware of their surroundings and contact police if they see someone lurking on an overpass.
Dowlin said they do not think the rock fell from the overpass structure.