CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police believe Charlotte teens may be putting local truck drivers’ lives in danger.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has received a handful of complaints of someone throwing large rocks at the trucks late at night.
Drivers told Channel 9 reporter Alexa Ashwell they hope police find the people responsible.
Patrick Crisler said that scenario has been his biggest fear ever since someone threw a large rock at his FedEx truck.
“If a driver loses control of his truck because a rock goes through the windshield, it could hit a house, a car, anything else that’s in the way,” Crisler said.
The rock-throwing incident happened late at night a couple of weeks ago just minutes after Crisler had left the FedEx hub on Toddville Road in northwest Charlotte.
“It hit the passenger side of the front quarter panel,” Crisler said.
After a FedEx driver reached out to Channel 9, Ashwell checked with police and found a handful of other complaints had been made by other drivers.
There’s one from June and another in July on Freedom Drive, and just days ago a 13-year-old was charged after police said three juveniles threw rocks at a driver’s work vehicle.
A FedEx worker said the size of the rock was between that of a baseball and a basketball.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Officer Johnathan Frisk said these cases are part of a dangerous trend they are seeing among young teens.
“We've seen a trend in the youth, juveniles throwing rocks at trucks, particularly FedEx trucks,” Frisk said.
Frisk said throwing rocks at trucks is not only illegal, but dangerous, and could potentially kill someone. That's why the department is focusing its resources in those areas and want drivers to be alert.
“Look around. See if you see people on the sidewalks as you're approaching. If you do, maybe you just want to slow down,” Frisk said.