Premier rules out cash rewards to fight Southern Expressway rock throwers

THE Premier has ruled out cash rewards to curb rock-throwing along the Southern Expressway — as another motorist has a lucky escape after a rock was hurled at their car on Tuesday afternoon. Is the road becoming too frightening to use?

The Southern Expressway at Majors Rd. Picture: Eugene Boisvert

PREMIER Steven Marshall has ruled out a reward to help curb a spate of rock-throwing attacks along the Southern Expressway — as another motorist has a lucky escape after a rock was hurled into their car on Tuesday afternoon.

The vehicle was travelling south at O’Halloran Hill on Tuesday, about 100m before the Majors Rd overpass, when its back passenger window was hit by the flying rock at about 3.20pm.

No one was harmed during the incident.

Police say CCTV footage will be reviewed to try and curb the increasingly dangerous behaviour.

SOUTHERN EXPRESSWAY INCIDENTS — AND THE STORY BEHIND THEM

Premier Steven Marshall ruled out offering a reward for anyone who provides information which leads to a conviction over rock throwing attacks on the Southern Expressway.

On Sunday, Labor transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis called on the Liberal Government to offer a $50,000 reward, arguing that the former Labor Government did so following a previous spate of attacks.

However, Mr Marshall said on Wednesday morning that a reward “is not something that we are considering”.

Instead, he said his Government was working to make it more difficult for people to throw rocks from bridges over the roadway.

“We’ve already put the mesh over the most accessible rocks adjacent to the Southern Expressway,” he said.

“We are looking as quickly as we possibly can at the installation of the cages over the Southern Expressway. The design work is being done on that as we speak and we hope to have that in place (soon).”

There have been multiple rock throwing incidents along the Southern Expressway in recent months, with police likening pelting cars with rocks along the major arterial to “firing a gun”.

In March, three teenage boys were arrested for tossing rocks and bottles at cars from overpasses in the Hackham West area in February.