A Missouri driver called 911 after something struck her windshield while she was traveling on Interstate 70. She had no idea what had hit her car, but police soon discovered that three kids were behind it.
The driver was passing beneath the Sonderen Street overpass in O’Fallon when the object hit. She couldn’t tell if something had fallen from the bridge or if someone had thrown it. Luckily, her car wasn’t damaged.
Officers responded to the call, but they had some help from above. A police drone reached the overpass and found three juveniles standing near their bikes. The camera soon caught one of them dropping something over the fence toward traffic.
What was falling onto the interstate turned out to be candy. Nobody was hurt, but the O’Fallon Missouri Police Department shared the footage to show how a small prank could put drivers in danger.
Eyes In The Sky
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The video shows the kids standing on the overpass with their bikes nearby. At one point, they wave toward passing cars. From the road below, drivers would have had little reason to know what was happening above them.
According to police spokesperson Caroline Hecker, the department launched its drone within 30 seconds of receiving the driver’s call. An officer was also heading toward the bridge after finishing another call.
As the drone watched, one of the kids dropped something over the fence. Police later learned the objects were pieces of candy and believed the group had thrown them more than once.
Nowhere To Hide
After leaving the overpass, the three juveniles rode away on their bikes. But the drone kept watching and helped the responding officer find them.
When the officer approached with emergency lights activated, the kids stopped. All three admitted throwing candy onto the interstate, according to Hecker.
Police contacted their parents, who came to pick them up. No charges were filed, and the department reported no damage to any vehicles.
A Dangerous Game
Although candy might seem harmless, police warned that dropping objects onto a busy highway can have serious results.
A driver who suddenly sees something coming toward the windshield might brake, swerve, or lose control. On an interstate where vehicles travel at highway speeds, that reaction could lead to a crash.
In its Facebook post, the department stressed that the object’s size doesn’t make the behavior safe. Even a small piece of candy could distract someone behind the wheel.
This time, the driver who called 911 escaped without damaging her vehicle. The three kids went home with their parents after speaking with police.