Stuff.co.nz: Cyclist hit in face by thrown bottle
By JARED MORGAN – The Southland Times Last updated 05:00 30/01/2010
A 14-year-old boy was injured after he was hit in the face by a glass bottle thrown from a car in Gore.
Ben Murdoch yesterday sported a rapidly blackening eye and cut cheek after the bottle hit him just below his right eye as he cycled down Main St Gore towards Hyde St about 9.30pm on Thursday.
It was a blow he did not expect, he said.
“Me and my mate were biking down the main street. We didn’t see the car coming … then I heard the music.”
Instead of getting a look at the source of the sound, he was left seeing stars, he said.
“I turned around to look and a bottle hit me in the eye.”
Bleeding from a cut to his cheek, by the time he had gathered himself enough to look at who was responsible it was too late, Ben said. “The car drove off real fast.”
He described the car as dark coloured, possibly a Mazda, and overloaded with “hoons”.
While the 14-year-old readily admitted his injuries could have been worse, the attack had left him shocked, with a swollen eye, headache and throbbing in his cheek, he said.
The swelling had subsided yesterday, leaving him with a blackening eye.
Earlier in the evening he and a friend had visited his friend’s sister and newborn baby at Gore Hospital before stopping at a park briefly, he said.
A lot of vehicles were doing circuits of the town and he and his friend has seen people throwing items, such as CDs and bottles, out of the car windows, he said.
However, the last thing he expected was to get hit.
Ben’s mother Kylie Anderson said her son’s injuries did not appear too serious, but the incident was concerning enough for her to call police, she said.
“It’s disappointing that people don’t stop to think.”
Sergeant Stan Leishman, of Gore, said the incident was “totally thoughtless”.
“The persons responsible didn’t appreciate the damage they could have done.”
Police were taking the incident seriously and were looking for help from the public, he said.
It was a warm evening and it was still light at the time meaning there were potential witnesses, Mr Leishman said.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Gore police.
