Kansas City police increase patrols after tires dropped onto Interstate 435 hit vehicles

Kansas City police increased patrols in the area of Interstate 435 and 83rd Street on Tuesday, a day after someone damaged vehicles by throwing tires from an overpass onto the interstate.

No arrests have been made in connection with the 4 a.m. Monday crimes, police said. Damage to five vehicles ranged from shattered front windshields and smashed hoods to bumper and undercarriage damage.

At least one motorist reported seeing two people throwing tires from the 83rd Street bridge. Police are investigating the crimes as aggravated assaults.

One motorist whose front windshield was smashed said she managed to pull to the interstate’s shoulder without hitting other vehicles.

Another motorist told police she was southbound on I-435 when a tire fell from above and hit her hood and bumper.

A third motorist said he didn’t initially know what struck his Range Rover seconds after he drove beneath the 83rd Street bridge.

“It happened so fast, you didn’t know if it was a body that you hit or what,” Allen Williams, 42, of Kearney said Tuesday. “I don’t understand why anyone would do this. It could have been very serious. I was lucky.”

Williams, whose vehicle suffered damage to its bumper and undercarriage, was on his way to work in Grandview at the time.

Some motorists immediately pulled off the highway, called police, got out of their vehicles and assessed the damage.

No one reported injuries, police said.

Police found five tires on the median or near the highway’s right shoulder. Police searched the area but did not find anyone who might have thrown the tires.

“The individuals who did this — it was very selfish on their part,” Williams said. “They have no sense for anyone except themselves.”

This story was originally published August 4, 2015 at 11:06 AM with the headline "Kansas City police increase patrols after tires dropped onto Interstate 435 hit vehicles."