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Driver lucky to be alive
Andersonstown News Thursday 11th of July 2008
By Ciarán Barnes
Westlink motorists narrowly escaped death when their vehicles were stoned by children at Divis Street bridge.
Vehicles were pelted with rocks during an hour of madness on Monday night.
Colin Ormsby’s seven-tonne truck swerved across two lanes when a brick smashed his front windscreen.
Luckily there were no other vehicles near him on the road and the experienced driver managed to bring the vehicle under control.
Police are investigating reports of three other cars being attacked shortly afterwards.
Kids hanging around a bonfire site off Divis Street are being blamed.
“If that brick had come through the windscreen I would be dead,” said a shaken Colin.
“I very nearly lost it and although I swerved all over the road I managed to keep the lorry under control. Thank God the traffic wasn’t busy.
“I kept going until I was off the motorway at Yorkgate and then I phoned the police.
“When I was making a statement at Woodbourne an hour later a policeman said there had been four similar attacks.”
Monday night’s incident was the fourth time Colin’s lorry has been hit with missiles at the Divis bridge. The near-death experience has put him off using the Westlink.
Dangerous
“I’ll be using the Falls and Lisburn roads from now on because the Westlink is just too dangerous,” he added.
“There were rocks all over the motorway. The stone-throwing must have been going on for a while.
“The police are going to have to install CCTV cameras on the Westlink because there will be a death if this continues.”
Sinn Féin MLA Fra McCann said community workers are doing everything possible to clear the Divis bonfire site, where the Westlink stone-throwers are gathering.
“I had 300 old tyres lifted from a depot in Distillery Street last week in case they went on the bonfire,” he explained.
“The people throwing stones need to wise up before someone is killed.”
Collision
A PSNI spokeswoman confirmed it is investigating reports of stones and debris being thrown from a bridge on to the Westlink.
“It is known that damage was caused to at least two vehicles,” said the spokeswoman.
“Police are urging the people involved in these incidents to be aware of the danger they are creating.
“Even a small stone can shatter a windscreen, obstruct the view of a driver and cause a collision that could result in serious injury or even death.”
“If that brick had come through the windscreen I would be dead”
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