A Dundee taxi driver was left in shock after a ”shower of rocks” were thrown at his car by yobs from the walkway above the tunnel on the city’s inner ring road.
Scott Cuthill (46) says a rock ”the size of two fists” smashed into the bonnet of the car, narrowly missing the windscreen but causing a severe dent in the bonnet.
He says he had to swerve to avoid being pelted further and around half a dozen stones hit the sides of the car.
Now his taxi office boss has offered a £200 reward for the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
”I was in shock,” Scott said, clearly still traumatised after his frightening experience. ”I couldn’t believe it. It was about 9.50pm and I was coming up the bypass from Blackscroft towards the tunnel and I saw four youths up on the walkway.
”I thought they were kidding about throwing stuff but then all these rocks came down. I swerved but one big lump hit the bonnet. I got such a fright what a bang it was and I just swerved and tried to avoid getting hit again.
”I stopped inside the tunnel and put my hazards on and picked up half a dozen or so rocks for evidence. They were aged about 13-15 and they must have been doing it to other cars as well because there were about 20 stones on the road.
”I took the stones round to Bell Street and reported it to the police and then I just went off shift. I couldn’t face carrying on, I got such a fright.”
He added: ”It’s shocking I’m just trying to do my job as a public servant. It was bad enough that I was on my own, but imagine if a customer had been in the car. How scary would that have been for them?
”What do these people think? The world’s just gone to pot. I was lucky I didn’t get one through the windscreen. I was just thinking what if I was doing another ten miles an hour and it hit me in the face?
”I could have been blinded … I’ve got a girlfriend and a five-year-old daughter who’s going to provide for them if something happened to me?”
Scott says he’s now been left apprehensive about driving through the same tunnel.
”Every time I am working I’ll be thinking: ‘Will I go up through the tunnel, or will I take the bottom road?’ It’s not right. I just keep thinking about the worst that could have happened.”
Car owner Jim Finlayson said he was totally shocked when Scott told him what happened.
”I wanted to highlight this because it’s really serious Scott could have been killed,” he said. ”The dent in the bonnet will cost about £200-£300 to fix and my excess is more than that so I won’t get it on the insurance, but that’s the least of my worries. It could have been much worse if it hit the windscreen and hit Scott in the face.
”I just don’t understand what goes through these people’s minds. I’ve had eggs and water bombs thrown at me before but this is much worse.”
Taxi firm 505050 owner Steve Cashley has offered a £200 reward for the capture of the culprits.
”It’s getting out of hand. It’s very, very dangerous and we’re mostly concerned about the customers. Imagine if it was a disabled person or elderly or kids in the car it would be really distressing for them. It was just lucky the stone hit the bonnet and not the windscreen.”
Tayside Police say officers searched the area as soon as it was reported. It is believed CCTV is now being reviewed in a bid to identify the suspects.
A spokesman said: ”The implications of throwing any type of missile at a moving vehicle can be very serious indeed. In the worst-case scenario such reckless behaviour could easily result in a fatal incident.
”Anyone found to be throwing objects at passing vehicles or dropping them onto carriageways from flyovers can expect to face the full force of law.”