By Stef DiPietrantonio
CLEARWATER – A Clearwater fire truck was responding to an emergency when it had to screech to a halt because a big concrete rock slammed into the windshield.
And it was no accident — someone deliberately threw it.
“We’re not talking about a pebble here, we’re talking about a large chunk of concrete,” said Elizabeth Watts with the City of Clearwater.
Watts said the emergency call was halted by the flying chunk of concrete.
“Big enough to fill the palm of your hand, so he got some momentum going,” she said.
It happened during a busy Friday morning commute, in the 2300 block of Gulf To Bay Boulevard around 7:20 a.m. Clearwater Fire Rescue #49 was responding to a call, with their lights and sirens blaring.
“It was a problem breathing, and it was a medical call,” said Watts, who added that the crew saw a man walking toward them.
“They noticed him, they thought maybe he was doing something a little suspicious,” said Watts.
So it wasn’t a total surprise. The driver said they saw what they thought was a man skipping on the sidewalk.
“Kind of skipping before he’s getting ready to throw,” Watts explained.
The man was really rearing back to get momentum, to hurl that piece of concrete right into their windshield.
“The glass shattered throughout the cabin,” said Watts. “Covering both the driver and the passenger.”
No one was seriously hurt. They tried to circle back, but the man had already slipped away.
Another unit was close by, so there was no delay in getting care to the person who was having trouble breathing.
But the outcome could have been much different.
“What if there wasn’t another unit that was close enough to get there in time? But also, our personnel and their safety,” Watts said. “They’re out there trying to do their jobs, trying to help people, trying to save lives.”
It was disturbing for Vanessa Durbin, who walks her son along that stretch of Gulf To Bay all the time.
“There are some crazies around here,” said Durbin. “But I didn’t know they were that crazy!”
The windshield has been replaced, but the truck is not back in service yet. It’s just like one we found at Rescue #45 across town.
The suspect is described as a white male, around 30 to 40 years old, 5’10” with a medium build.
His face was unshaven and he was last seen wearing a blue shirt and jeans.
If you think you saw anyone matching that description on Gulf To Bay Boulevard Friday morning, call the Clearwater Police Department.
Throwing an object, in this case, hurling a piece of concrete at an ambulance, is a felony.
