Tina Morales and her husband Kevin were heading home one Sunday morning when they were suddenly assaulted by an unidentified attacker.
A sizable piece of concrete was hurled at their vehicle, shattering the windshield and striking Tina in the neck. Initially, she believed she had been shot, but then understood the reality of the situation.
Tina suffered from cuts, swelling, and a lung bubble as a result of the incident, necessitating a visit to a pulmonary specialist. The couple had just discussed using the upper level of I-35 to avoid rock-throwing incidents, but unfortunately, they were still targeted near Rundberg Lane.
The assault on Tina and Kevin was one of 41 similar rock-throwing incidents along the same stretch of road, as reported by an Austin news outlet. At least five people have been injured in these attacks, with two of them in critical condition. The majority of these incidents have occurred on weekends around the 30th and 40th streets. It remains uncertain whether all the events are connected, but the authorities are looking into it.
Kevin described the attacker, saying, “When he saw a single-vehicle by itself, he popped up and threw it.” He added, “Or if he’s in a vehicle, it would have to be two people, one person driving and one person throwing.” Kevin thinks the community should consider installing fencing along I-35 to shield drivers from more rock-throwing episodes. Law enforcement is also considering adding more cameras to the area, but the expense of upkeep is a challenge.
Tina was left feeling extremely shaken by the ordeal and wants to warn others.
“It’s insane. You just don’t expect something like this, just driving home,” she said. “We need to raise awareness of the situation, but that’s not enough anymore. More action is needed because the problem is spreading.”
Tina and Kevin are thankful that their experience wasn’t even more tragic. They hope their story will encourage others to remain watchful and prevent similar occurrences.
It’s regrettable that an innocent person had to endure physical harm due to a thoughtless and unprovoked assault, but Tina and Kevin’s experience serves as a reminder for people to stay cautious and vigilant while driving to prevent becoming a victim of such an attack. The community needs to make hard choices to protect its residents from these crimes and ensure that such incidents never happen again.
