A woman was shaken after a traffic cone was thrown from an overpass onto the A69 in Newcastle, nearly hitting her car.
Ms. Durkin, who is 33, was driving to work just before 8 AM on Tuesday, January 18. The cone almost hit her car. Her dashcam caught two people lifting the cone over the bridge railings and dropping it onto the road below.
She saw two figures near the bridge, and everything seemed to slow down. Then she saw the traffic cone. She quickly swerved her car, avoiding getting hit. Thinking of her daughter scared her; what if her child was in the car or she didn’t react fast enough?
She thought about the possible harm. At first, she thought it was careless, but later wondered if they meant to hurt someone. She had to continue her day, but that afternoon, she reported it to the police. Now driving there makes her uneasy; she keeps looking at the bridges. This event really bothered her; she used to be a confident driver.
After thinking about it, she wants to make a positive change from her experience. She thinks it starts with parents, who might not know their kids are doing this. Schools also have a big role. She thinks cones should be removed sooner, which could help prevent such incidents.
She feels the police listened and are taking the matter seriously. But she felt many emotions about it. She feels sad that someone would want to cause harm and is upset that young people think this is okay.
A police spokesperson described the incident, noting that two cones were thrown on the A69 near North Walbottle Road. The cones caused an obstruction, but thankfully, no one got hurt. The police removed the cones soon after.
Police are asking for help. If you have information, please contact them. Dashcam footage could be helpful. You can message them on social media or use the contact options on their website. If you cannot reach them online, call 101, using reference number NP-20250218-0107.