By The Franklin Daily Journal
JOHNSON COUNTY — Johnson County deputies are sounding the alarm after two incidents of rocks and baseballs being thrown onto Interstate 65.
At about 6:45 p.m. Monday, the sheriff’s office responded to a report of individuals throwing rocks from the overpass at County Roads 250 South and 600 East onto I-65, southeast of Franklin and northeast of Amity. Dispatchers received multiple 911 calls, including one from a tractor-trailer driver who reported vehicle damage and was awaiting assistance from the Indiana State Police, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
This is the second such incident in two weeks. The first occurred on Nov. 9 at about 9:15 p.m., when a deputy responded to a similar report and located a large quantity of baseballs on the roadway that had to be removed to ensure driver safety, the news release says.
Upon arrival at the latest incident on Monday, a deputy did not locate any individuals in the area but discovered significant evidence of activity. A damaged baseball was found on the overpass, and upon further investigation, the deputy observed over 100 baseballs and softballs scattered along the interstate and surrounding areas. Some of the balls were still in plastic packaging, with containers also discarded nearby, according to the news release.
The sheriff’s office has requested extra patrols in the area to deter further incidents. The case has been referred to its Investigations Division for follow-up, the news release says.
Sheriff Duane Burgess emphasized the seriousness of these repeated incidents in a statement, calling them “reckless and dangerous.”
“This reckless and dangerous behavior has now occurred twice in just a few days, endangering the lives of motorists and causing property damage. We are committed to identifying those responsible and ensuring that these acts do not continue,” Burgess said.
Anyone with any information about these incidents should contact Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Analyst Emily Watson 317-346-4652 or Detective Ryan Bartlett 317-346-4767.
