SEATTLE — The most surprising thing that was supposed to happen on Saturday for Michael Rivera was a baby shower in Columbia City.
But it was on the way there when he and his partner, Garett Talcott, saw something they’d only heard of before.
“To see it, experience it, capture the video of it. I mean, that’s when it really becomes real to you,” Talcott said. “And I don’t want that for ourselves, for our family members, our loved ones, and our community.”
The couple was driving on I-5 at 2 p.m. Saturday when they saw someone throwing rocks at cars passing by. Video captured on Rivera’s car camera shows someone throwing rocks at cars in front of Rivera from the side of the freeway.
“Luckily, the traffic we were in was going kind of slow,” Rivera said. “But if it would’ve been at normal traffic speed and if one of those rocks came and hit you in the windshield, it could cause major damage and possibly death. And that’s the scary thing.”
Talcott described the rocks as being “the size of a softball.” Both he and Rivera said they also saw multiple rocks on the roadway in front of them.
“You could see all the rocks on the road, so the person actually threw multiple rocks trying to hit cars,” Rivera said.
Rivera and Talcott said that when they called the police, they were told to report the incident to the Washington State Patrol.
A trooper told KIRO 7 on Sunday he had not heard of the incident and would look into the matter.
Rivera and Talcott said the only reason they’re speaking out is to warn other drivers.
“This was in broad daylight,” Rivera said. “I would drive as far away from the side of the road as possible in either direction… It’s a super sad place to live if you can’t even drive on our own freeways.”
“We don’t want it to happen to anyone else,” Talcott said. “Just keep those eyes open. Protection for yourself is protection for others.”
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