Wine bottle thrown from bridge smashes into car

A driver and her passenger were showered with shards of glass when a man threw a bottle of wine off a footbridge.

The cracked windscreen which was smashed by a bottle thrown from an overpass.

The women, who were community nurses working on a shift, escaped serious injury when the windscreen shattered, but police said the incident could have had “catastrophic consequences”.

The pair had been travelling on the A89 around a quarter of a mile east of Pumpherston Road, Broxburn, when the incident happened at 8.20pm on Saturday.

A group of people, described as in their late teens or early twenties, were on the bridge when a man threw a bottle of wine onto the white Ford Fiesta passing underneath.

The interior of the car was left covered in glass.

The women, who were

travelling from Winchburgh to Livingston in the course of their duties, were left shaken and covered in glass and wine.

They managed to stop the car at the side of the road without further incident – and spotted the gang running off towards Uphall Station.

Sergeant Darren Cook, who is based at Linlithgow police station, said his officers were working hard to track down the youngsters.

He said: “This was an incredible act of stupidity which could have had catastrophic consequences. The two female occupants of the car escaped serious injury on this occasion, although the passenger did receive minor cuts to her hands and arms. This could have ended in a tragedy.

“We are keen to trace this group who were on the pedestrian bridge and were walking from the Broxburn side of the bridge to the Uphall Station side. They are described as being in their late teens/early twenties, and the one who dropped the bottle was a male.”

The two nurses were said to be shaken by the ordeal, however they were understood to be back at work yesterday.

Motorists took to social media to say that Saturday’s incident was unfortunately not an isolated case.

Aj Barber said: “This happens all the time from that bridge. It happened to my partner while driving past at 2.30am. There are loads of huge stones at the foot of the bridge as [they] do it all the time. The police do nothing.”

And Mikey McKinnon revealed that he saw a group of teenagers throwing stones at cars in South Queensferry on Saturday night.

Alan Boyter, director of human resources at NHS Lothian, said: “We are aware that a police investigation is under way into an incident of reckless conduct in West Lothian which affected two members of our staff. We will continue to liaise with the police and support the staff members involved.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.