A Perth mother has described the terrifying moment a water-filled balloon thrown from a Leederville overpass smashed through her windscreen, narrowly missing her and her three-year-old son.
Taryn Bourne was driving home from a playdate at Galup (formerly Lake Monger) on May 17 when the balloon struck her car near the intersection of Vincent Street and Lake Monger Drive. The impact shattered the windscreen, leaving a large hole in the glass with remnants of the balloon still embedded.
“It was such a shock,” Ms Bourne said. “I basically took off from the traffic lights and then suddenly my windscreen was smashed.” She estimated her speed at just 40 km/h at the time.
Her son, seated in the back, was startled but unharmed. “He was just like, ‘What was that?’ He was a bit shocked,” she recalled.
Police confirmed that two other vehicles were also damaged in the same attack, with all three sustaining significant damage, including smashed windscreens. The group of youths, described as aged between 14 and 17, were seen on e-scooters and bikes, wearing motorbike helmets. They fled north along the cycle path towards Richmond Street after the incident.
Ms Bourne expressed concern that the consequences could have been far worse. “If someone was going faster or if it was a motorbike or a P-plater or an elderly driver, it definitely could have been a lot worse,” she said. “It definitely could have ended up with us getting hurt or even worse.”
She noted that the balloon was unusually large, “about the size of a soccer ball,” and not a typical water bomb. Several motorists stopped to assist after witnessing the incident, and a City of Vincent worker reportedly captured footage of the group on the bridge, which has been passed to police.
Shockingly, Ms Bourne reported seeing the same group again about 40 minutes later, still carrying balloons, despite police having already attended the area. “There were police in the area and the kids still came back again,” she said. “They would have seen that they’d smashed my window and then just did it again.”
Another victim came forward on a Leederville community Facebook group, reporting damage to their car at the same location around 4 pm on the same day. Ms Bourne noted that her incident occurred about an hour earlier, and she witnessed the group return to the area with another balloon.
Wembley Police are continuing their investigation into the incident, which is believed to have occurred between 2:50 pm and 3:10 pm.
“About 3 pm, police received multiple reports that a group of unknown youths had dropped water balloons onto vehicles travelling along Vincent Street, from a bicycle overpass adjoining the Mitchell Freeway, in Leederville,” WA Police said. “Police attended and conducted patrols, however, the group had fled prior to arrival.”
Police have issued a stark warning about the dangers of throwing objects at moving vehicles, stating that such actions can cause serious crashes, injury, or death. “Throwing objects at vehicles may constitute a range of offences under Western Australian law depending on the circumstances, including criminal damage, acts causing risk of bodily harm, assault offences, and offences involving intent to endanger life, all of which carry significant penalties including imprisonment,” they said.
Officers are appealing for anyone with information, including CCTV, dash-cam, or mobile phone footage, to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.
