SEATTLE — A man was caught on dashcam video launching a rock through a vehicle's window along Interstate 5 in Seattle late Saturday night.
Authorities said a Kent man was driving south along I-5 and Yesler Way just after 11 p.m. The man on video stepped out towards the highway and threw a rock through the windshield, leaving glass shards in the car.
Soni, who asked to be identified by his first name only, was in the driver’s seat, traveling home by himself when the rock hit his windshield.
"It is a very scary moment. It's very disturbing. It's mentally very disturbing -- maybe I'm not surviving today,” said Soni. "I see somebody just running in the right-side lane towards the front of the car."
He says that person hurled a heavy rock right at his windshield. It shattered the glass on the passenger’s side. He narrowly avoided being hurt or worse.
"It is going to kill someone. It's going to cause a chain reaction," said Soni, commenting on what could have happened. “My two kids depend on me. So, it's going to destroy three lives in just seconds.”
There has been no suspect identified in this rock-throwing incident. The Washington State Patrol (WSP) received another report of an unknown male with a broom in the area. Investigators have not connected if the man was the same suspect.
WSP said it is investigating the case and asked for anyone to contact the agency if they have any information.
Soni’s case is one of 74 reported to WSP so far this year in King County alone. Last year, the county had 215 cases of rock or debris throwing. In 2021, there were 388 cases countywide reported to WSP.
In 2021, the WSP arrested a person suspected of throwing rocks onto Interstate 90 in Seattle.
A total of seven vehicles were struck by debris, according to WSP. One of the victims chased after the 41-year-old suspect and helped bring them into custody.