Police are investigating nearly a dozen reports of rocks being thrown at vehicles in York Region that have caused major damage and injuries to drivers and passengers.
The first incident of rock-throwing was reported on Sept. 12 at around 10:25 p.m. The Ontario Provincial Police said a vehicle was driving southbound on Highway 48, near Stouffville Road, in Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ont. when it was struck by a rock smashing the driver’s side headlight.
Five minutes later, at around 10:30 p.m. another vehicle driving northbound on Highway 48, near Elgin Mills, in Markham, Ont. was also struck by a rock. This damaged the vehicle’s side-view mirror, investigators said.
Then a week later on Sept. 20, another four incidents of rock-throwing at vehicles occurred.
Police said a rock struck a vehicle that was travelling northbound on Highway 48, just past Major Mackenzie Drive, in Markham, damaging the driver’s side-view mirror.
Another three incidents were reported of rocks being deliberately thrown at moving vehicles by a passing vehicle or by a person, police said, and one of these incidents resulted in a collision.
Police said the driver and the passenger of one of the vehicles was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries from the collision on Highway 48. In an update earlier this week, police said one of those individuals has since stabilized and is in recovery, while the second victim remains in critical condition in hospital.
“Investigators believe that a rock was deliberately thrown at the windshield of the vehicle by a passing vehicle or person, leading to the collision,” police said in a release at the time.
The OPP also said it became aware of several more rock-throwing incidents, and that there are nine in total between Sept. 12 to Sept 20 in Markham. They said they believe they’re all linked to the same person and vehicle.
“All of these incidents … have caused damage to vehicles and endangered the motoring public,” police said.
The vehicle is believed to be a dark-coloured SUV, but police did not have a make or model to provide.
Then, a month later, another two incidents occurred on Oct. 19. York Regional Police said at about 1 a.m. their officers responded to a property damage call where they learned a vehicle was struck by a large rock near 16th Avenue and Mingay Avenue in Markham.
“The driver told police it came from a vehicle that was travelling in the opposite direction,” police said.
Shortly after, at around 1:30 a.m., near Stouffville and McCowan roads in Whitchurch-Stouffville, investigators said a driver called police to report that someone had thrown a rock at his windshield, striking him in the face.
OPP Det.-Insp. Sean Chatland told Global News Wednesday investigators believe all the incidents are related.
“We’re lucky that none of these have been fatal so far,” he said.
“These are innocent civilians just on their way to and from home. This is incredibly disturbing that even after we have these serious injuries, this continues to happen. It’s mind boggling, but we have a very experienced team on this and will continue to drive it forward and hold whoever’s responsible to account for this.”
York Regional Police Const. Lisa Moskaluk also told Global News on Wednesday the rocks they’ve found look like they would be used for landscaping, and the force is hoping if anyone notices their yard being disturbed to contact them.
“It’s disgusting somebody would do that,” she said of the cases.
“What would be going through someone’s head to think that that would be an OK thing to do?”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
— with files from Sean O’Shea