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Search forA12: Renewed appeals for information on concrete attacks
Friday, November 28, 2008, 17:16
Detectives are investigating the spate of over a dozen attacks which have caused serious injuries to two drives and thousands of pounds worth of damage to vehicles since the start of November.
Three teenage boys, two aged 16 and one aged 17, from Chelmsford, have been arrested in connection with the investigation and released on police bail.
The images were released as another driver came forward to speak about the attack which almost cost him his life.
David Ackland was driving a Land Rover Discovery northbound under Fryerning Lane Bridge, near Chelmsford, on Wednesday, November 12, when a large piece of concrete smashed through his sunroof.
Mr Ackland, 48, of Romford, said: "I had just passed under the bridge when a lump of concrete crashed through my roof; had I passed a second later it would have hit me and probably killed me."
"Thankfully I was on my own at the time, but quite often I have my granddaughter in the back seat and she would have been sitting exactly where the concrete landed - I can't bring myself to think about the consequences of that.
"I was on cruise control at 60mph so if the concrete had struck me and rendered me unconscious, then it would have had potentially devastating for other motorists too."
More than £5,000 worth of damage was caused to Mr Ackland's vehicle.
DI Dean Chapple of Essex Police said: "This particular incident illustrates the severity of the criminal acts we are dealing with. "Even a stone thrown from a bridge can be fatal, but when you look at the size of this concrete, it is amazing that the consequences were not far, far worse.
"It appears to be a bollard of some nature so we are appealing to anybody who knows where some may have been removed from to contact us. Being able to identify this could be very useful to our investigation.
"We are also continuing to urge residents and motorists to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police immediately."
Another 30-year-old driver narrowly avoided tragedy when a huge lump of hardcore was thrown onto the road from an overhead bridge at the road's junction with the A130 at Howe Green, near Chelmsford.
The block smashed his windscreen and ploughed into his arm.
Less than an hour later at 7.20pm a driver from Chelmsford was targeted at the Brentwood turn-off on the A12.
A giant slab of stone was left in the road and punctured all four tyres of a grey Honda Civic, but fortunately the 28-year-old car driver from Chelmsford escaped unscathed.
Ken Leader's car was hit by a brick on November 6 when he was driving to work with a colleague on the A12, under the Writtle Road bridge at around 10.30pm.
But despite the seriousness of the incident he says he was frustrated at what he describes as a lack of willingness by the police to investigate.
He said: "The way I see it this was an attempt on both our lives, we were nearly murdered and the police failed to react in any way shape or form.
"The incident has left me shaken and financially out of pocket due to the £200 excess on my insurance.
"My real concern though is that something will only be done after someone has been killed, which to be honest is only a matter of time."
Last week the Chronicle revealed how drivers had to swerve to avoid falling debris along the Brentwood and Chelmsford stretches of the A12 on Wednesday, November 12.
A concrete block smashed through the windscreen of David Greenwood's lorry as he passed under Church Road, Mountnessing, during the evening rush hour.
The 49-year-old from Middlesborough suffered a slight shoulder injury and was hit in the face by flying debris inside the cab, and around £7,000 worth of damage was caused to the truck.
Later that evening six more drivers were hit by debris, including taxi driver Katharine Allan, 30, who was driving towards Boreham when she was hit by debris lying in the road beneath the West Hanningfield Road bridge at 8.25pm.
And in October we revealed how a taxi driver from Fareway Taxis in Galleywood, and his passenger, miraculously escaped injury when a concrete slab was dropped onto the vehicle as they passed under a bridge just before the Shenfield turn-off of the A12.
Detective Inspector Dean Chapple said: "Throwing any item from a bridge down onto a busy road is a stupid, mindless act that can have fatal consequences.
"It is only a matter of luck that we are not embarking on a murder investigation.
"Motorists should be assured that we are taking this very seriously and anyone who witnesses suspicious activity should contact us immediately."
He added that they are also interested in finding out where the concrete is coming from, and that anyone who has noticed any going missing should also pass on information to police.
The teenagers who have been arrested were all released on police bail until early in the new year.
Police have stepped up patrols and road policing in the area of the attacks.
Chief Superintendent Mick Thwaites, commander of the Mobile Support Division, said: "Essex Police views these incidents as being a priority and we are committing our full resources to identifying and arresting whoever is responsible for these reckless acts.
"They obviously have no regard for the consequences of their actions, but we are determined that we will arrest them and put them before the courts, where a lengthy prison sentence may give them the opportunity to reflect on the stupidity of their actions."
Anyone with information about these attacks should contact the Stanway Major Investigation Team on 0300 333 4444 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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