BYRON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WWJ) — Authorities said two young men who threw pieces of concrete at vehicles traveling on US-131 are committing "malicious" acts after several cars were damaged by the debris on Monday night.
“They may think that it’s funny, they make think it’s a prank and they don’t understand what repercussions could come from their actions and it could result in somebody being killed,” MSP Lt. Michelle Robinson said to WOOD TV.
According to MSP, the incident occurred on southbound US-131 near 76th Street in Byron Township, just south of Grand Rapids.
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Two vehicles were hit with the pieces around 6:30 p.m. on March 21; State troopers believed the suspects returned to the same location on Tuesday and threw concrete that caused damage to other vehicles.
One victim, Rebecca Briggs, said to WOOD TV she was driving toward the 76th Street exit when she saw two young men near a barricade that appeared to be looking for something. As her vehicle approached them, one man jumped over the barricade and threw something he had picked up from the ground at her windshield.
“Very close, very intentional, hit the middle of my windshield. At that point, it was slam on the breaks, get somewhere safe, make sure nobody else got hurt,” Briggs said.
“You don’t expect to have to deal with something like that when you’re just driving down the highway,” Briggs said. “You can’t help but take it a little bit personal especially after you hear of multiple people getting hit. I really was almost able to make direct eye contact with the kid who threw the rock. This is intentional. Right where he threw it, I mean, there was no doubt that he did that on purpose and I really do think they’re intending to harm people and it’s working.”
Another driver on US-131 was passing Briggs location near the 76th exit around the same time as the incident and caught two men on his dashboard camera near a barricade.
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MSP said the suspects are described as young, white males with short dark hair. One suspect is believed to have been wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt or jacket while the other man was wearing a red hoodie or jacket.
Both young men were last seen fleeing on foot toward railroad track nearby; state troopers conducted a search of the area, but were unable to find the pair.
“This can happen and I don’t believe that these young people understand how severe their actions are,” Robinson said. “It is a malicious destruction of property. Depending on the damage to the windshield or the damage done to the vehicle, they could face anywhere from a misdemeanor to a felony charge.”
Robinson said this incident is very similar to the 2017 case in Flint where teens killed one man after dropping rocks off an overpass on I-75.
Anyone with information regarding both incidents has been asked to call Trooper Greene at the MSP Grand Rapids Post at 616-866-4411.
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