Unbreakable Windscreen Saves Dapto Man's Life

Illawarra Mercury

Monday November 30, 1998

By MICHELE TYDD

A Dapto man can thank his unbreakable windscreen for saving his life after a rock was hurled on to the F6 freeway on the weekend.

It was the third potentially fatal missile incident in a fortnight along the same stretch of the freeway.

``It frightened the life out of me and if I'd caught up with the people who had done it, they wouldn't be here today," John McQuire said.

Mr McQuire was travelling south on the freeway at Unanderra about 5pm on Saturday when he saw what he thought was a bird above him.

Seconds later a rock the size of a large orange shattered his windscreen and bounced off.

``I was travelling at about 100km/h so it was lucky I didn't lose control of the car," he said. ``If it had come through the windscreen it would have struck me in the neck or chest and no doubt have killed me.

``I stopped the car and had a look up at the cliff where it came from but couldn't see anybody.

``I thought of running up there but there were cars everywhere so I drove straight to Dapto Police Station."

Mr McQuire said there was no doubt the rock was thrown because of the angle at which it fell.

``It was thrown up in the air which is why I thought it was a bird."

He said he was disgusted by the act.

``It's the society we live in - nobody gives a stuff about anybody as long as they get their kicks."

Police are investigating the incident.

On November 14 a mother and her children were travelling on the freeway at Figtree when two youths dropped a bag of sand and cement on her car from The Avenue overpass.

Another man's car was hit by a rock from the same bridge the day after.

No arrests have been made in relation to any of the incidents.