Most car accidents are referred to as such because they aren’t deliberate. Even drivers who break the law — by drinking and driving or failing to stop at a traffic signal — generally aren’t intent on harming other drivers or pedestrians. But a bizarre act of vandalism that shocked and injured an unsuspecting driver in Pennsylvania last month appears to be no accident.
A man was driving through Delaware County late one night when an oncoming car came speeding toward him. Before he realized what was happening, a pumpkin came crashing through his windshield. Although the driver couldn’t open his eyes due to all the shattered glass that had lodged in his face, he still managed to pull over the car safely. But he suffered serious injuries to his eyes.
Police believe the odd prank isn’t an isolated incident. Three other acts of vandalism, including one in which a pumpkin thrown into a parked commercial van damaged the vehicle’s rear window and front dashboard, are attributed to the driver who committed the assault on the driver. No one suffered injuries in those incidents, but they did cause property damage. A reward is being offered for information in the latest pumpkin-tossing incident; as of yet police have no suspects.
Whether the culprit intended to hurt someone won’t be known until he or she is found and arrested. But the victim of the flying pumpkin, whose work as a computer programmer has reportedly been affected by his eye injuries, may choose to file a personal injury suit to compensate for his medical costs and possible lost wages.
Source: ABC Action News, “A pumpkin tossed from a car leaves driver injured,” Jan. 12, 2012