Glass 'Explodes' on I-91 Vehicles

SPRINGFIELD - "Michael R. Brochu of Springfield had heard that lately some vehicles on Interstate 91 had been hit by unknown objects, but the knowledge did not cause him to take an alternative route to work."

"Of all the vehicles zipping up and down the highway each day, Brochu said, he figured the odds of getting hit were extremely unlikely."
"I really wasn't too concerned," he said. "It was kind of like (the odds) of getting hit by lightning."

"Lightning - in the form of an unknown projectile - struck Brochu's 1995 Ford pickup truck yesterday shortly before 9 a.m. in the northbound lane of I-91 near the Chicopee line. The window on his passenger door blew up, spraying bits of glass all over the inside of his truck." "It exploded - all over me and the front seat," Brochu said."


"A little over two hours earlier and about three miles south, a car heading southbound near the former York Street jail also had its rear window blown out, police said."

"Information about the other driver was not available."


"In a press statement, Hampden County District Attorney William M. Bennett said, "It does not appear to the investigators that a firearm is involved in these two incidents." He could not be reached for comment."


"The question of how the damage is being done has arisen during the last two weeks, when at least six similar incidents were reported. Each of the incidents has taken place along the same stretch of highway from the Longmeadow line near Forest Park to the junction of Interstates 91 and 391 in Chicopee."

"Yesterday, Massachusetts State Police with dogs searched along the highway and a state police helicopter patrolled overhead where the two latest incidents occurred."

"State police referred all questions on the matter to Bennett. The statement issued by Bennett's office said the two new incidents appear similar to the previous ones. According to the statement, no projectiles were found in either vehicle. Nor was there any evidence of a "through-and-through shot," where the projectile passed completely through the vehicle. Bennett's statement said investigators do not believe a firearm to be involved, but it stopped short of saying what struck either vehicle."

"Brochu said he was traveling in the outer right lane closest to the breakdown lane when his window shattered. There was no other traffic nearby and he did not see anyone on the side of the road, he said."

"He said he has no idea what hit his truck."

"It was an extremely loud boom - unlike a rock or stone or something like that," he said. "I don't know any pellet gun that would do that to a window."

"He was driving 55 to 60 mph at the time. After he was hit, he slowed to about 40 mph to collect himself, but did not stop. He drove about three miles up I-391 to the Grattan Street exit, where he flagged down a trooper who was working a traffic detail at a construction site. Brochu said he intends to find an alternate route to and from work each day. That request, he said, came from his wife."

"He said he likely will avoid I-91 at least for the next week."

"Not that I believe lightning strikes twice, but you never know," he said."

www.masslive.com.../base/news-1/1087026756219511.xml

No projectile, it may be some form of linear magnetic beam with a huge peak power that distorts metal before it moves it. It could also be a huge pulsed laser of some sort.

That is very interseting.

There has been many isolated thunderstorms in that, and many other areas of the north east. Possibly lightning or maybe even hail or debris?

Keep us posted.



Nutzo

Yea I don't understand why it could not be a stone or other projecticle. They say because of a loud boom, but I mean, if its dropped from a high enough altitude I would think it would make a loud sound considering it shattered the glass.
If not, I guess it could of been an ultrasonic device, sound loud enough to shatter the glass.

Hmmmm...

Very interesting.

A colleague of mine is currently trying to get the rear hinged side window on his old extended cab truck replaced. Apparently his wife jumped into the vehicle (she was alone) to take a ride into town, hit the ignition - and the window quite simply exploded...

This took place in Illinois SW of Chicago.

I must admit that I think the simple explanation is that temperature changes coupled perhaps with older vehicles can lead to the build up of stress in the materials and then when vibrations hit a certain frequency.... BOOM!

But I have an open mind!



[edit - provided location details]

[edit on 6/13/2004 by illimey]

I think the strange part is that it is all happening on the same stretch of road to different vehicles. There may be a combination of factors including temperature, and bumpiness of road, but then you have to consider why other vehicles don't have the same problems. It would be nice to see if the blown glass panes occured on similar vehicles though.

Q-switched lasers make a loud snap at lower powers and would make a loud pop at higher powers. If it was a directed magnetic pulse, the metal deforming in less then 1mS would make a loud noise as well.

I would also say that any object that can make that noise would get stuck in the car, go right through (didn't).

Maybe the government is testing some type of new device.

This would be a great weapon in war against convoys.



Nutzo