Near miss for mum and toddler in latest rock throwing attack

A YOUNG mother has told how she and her toddler son avoided potential tragedy when a rock hurtled into her vehicle in the latest attack on drivers along the Southern Expressway.

• MARCH: Cars damaged by rocks thrown on Southern Expressway

A YOUNG mother has told how she and her toddler son avoided potential tragedy when a rock hurtled into her vehicle in the latest attack on drivers along the Southern Expressway.

Mother-of-two Lauren Mangelsdorf and her son Lachlan were driving near the Moore Rd overpass at Reynella when it was struck by a rock thrown from the side of the expressway about 4.50pm Thursday.

Lauren Mangelsdorf had rocks thrown at her on Thursday as she drove along the Southern Expressway with her two-year-old son. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

“I was going 100km/h in the outside lane and I can see a rock the side of my fist coming across my windscreen, it hit my bonnet and ricocheted up into my windscreen,” Ms Mangelsdorf said.

Two other cars were struck with rocks around the same time, the latest in a spate of similar incidents along the expressway, including one which saw a 10-year old boy arrested and charged.

Ms Mangelsdorf said the previous incidents had already made her wary of driving along the road, but was relieved she and her son escaped unharmed.

“Obviously I was thankful that I wasn’t injured but I went through all the ‘what ifs’,” she said.

“What if it hit my windscreen and what if I had have swerved or it came through the side window where my son was sitting.”

Lauren Mangelsdorf shows off some of the damage from the rock attack. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

The 35-year old said it was hard to comprehend why anyone would throw rocks at moving cars from such a height.

“I feel a bit sorry for them, I feel like they are probably coming from a background where they don’t get the right support to know morals and I think that is a bit sad,” she said.

“It’s impacting lives, what if it was your mother, or your brother or sister in the car? It’s not fun and games, and it’s a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt.”

Local resident Steve Goodyer said he chased three children he caught throwing rocks at cars late last year.

“They started throwing rocks at me and they took off, I spent an hour and a half following them on the phone to the cops and they still couldn’t catch them,” Mr Goodyer said.

The Moore Road overpass where the incident occurred. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

“I was on the phone to them the whole time following them through the backstreets, but the cops couldn’t find them apparently.”

Mr Goodyer said one of the children watched for traffic and gave the signal to the other two, who threw rocks over the top of fencing designed to stop such incidents.

“It’s a pain in the arse and it’s just getting worse and worse, they’re just little kids and the cops don’t get here even if you ring them,” he said.

Opposition Transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis said the spate of rock-throwing incidents along the expressway was “fast becoming an epidemic”.

Tom Koutsantonis speaks to the media. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Mr Koutsantonis called for a $50,000 reward for anyone providing information that led to rock throwers being convicted.

“Let’s put the politics to one side ... there’s not another election for four years, it is time to govern and time to act,” Mr Koutantonis said.

“How many other people have been driving home and been hit by a rock and not reported it? Is this becoming normal and when will we act, when there is another catastrophic incident along the expressway?

“It’s always better to put a fence at the top of the hill rather than an ambulance at the bottom of the hill.”

But Transport Minister Stephan Knoll described the Opposition’s stance as “quite disgusting and disingenuous”.

“The new government has done more to fix this problem in its first two months than the previous government did in 16 years of office,” he said.

“We are in the midst of the design process for new throw screens around bridges ... works should start on that by the end of the year.

“In the next few weeks we will see CCTV cameras, increased fencing and mesh being put over loose rocks as the first steps in addressing this problem.”

Mr Knoll said SA Police were deploying extra patrols in the area and called on local residents to help in “catching the idiots who do this and bringing them to justice”.