Teen arrested after boulder dropped from bridge onto man’s van on busy Nottinghamshire road

A man has been described as 'extremely lucky to be alive' after a boulder was dropped from a flyover bridge onto his van. It comes as police confirmed a 17-year-old boy had been arrested in connection with the incident and was currently on police bail. The 26-year-old victim is now recovering from his injuries in hospital following the collision on the A617 at Rainworth on November 29.

Police believe a boulder was dropped from the bridge near Hemsley Road onto the victim's silver Transit van at around 10pm. The van was travelling in the direction of Mansfield[1] - between the Kirklington Roundabout and the A6191 roundabout. The boulder itself went through the victim's windscreen and the man sustained serious injuries to his head and face.

Detective Constable Sarah Kirk, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "The victim in this case is extremely lucky to be alive. After taking a direct blow from a very large object, he lost consciousness, crashed through the central reservation and came to a stop on the opposite carriageway. "We don't currently know why someone would do something as stupid and reckless as this, but we are working hard to track them down.

I believe that several people out there know who's responsible but have so far been reluctant to come forward out of fear for the victim's condition. "Now that the victim is recovering in hospital, I hope these individuals will now tell us what they know so we can give him the justice he deserves and protect other road users from harm. Our investigation is continuing at pace and we are currently pursuing a number of lines of inquiry."

Anyone with information is urged to call 101, quoting incident 761 of November 29.

People can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously.

References

  1. ^ Mansfield (www.nottinghampost.com)