A stepfather has described the terrifying moment a brick smashed through his windscreen as he drove along a busy Liverpool road. Gary Hesmondhalgh, from Preston, was driving his van along Great Howard Street near Costco when a brick was hurled at the vehicle.
The brick smashed through the windscreen and struck Gary in the arm, leaving him with glass shards embedded in his skin and requiring nine stitches. His stepdaughter was also in the van at the time, sitting in the middle alongside her boyfriend.
Almighty crash
They had been travelling to Liverpool for a K-Pop dance competition when the incident happened at around 11.30am on Sunday, September 20. Gary, 37, told the ECHO: “I was driving along and I heard an almighty crash. I looked up, and there was a massive hole through the windscreen.
“I was in so much pain, and I looked down and my arm was bleeding. I was screaming in agony; I thought my arm was broken.”
Gary managed to pull the van over into a safe place but initially did not realise what had happened. He said: “I was in a state of shock. My stepdaughter was crying hysterically.
“I got out of the van and sat on the floor. I thought I was going to pass out, I was so dizzy.”
Off-duty doctor helped
Thankfully, an off-duty doctor happened to be nearby and came over to help Gary while they waited for an ambulance. He said: “[The doctor] was amazing. He calmed me down, made sure I was comfortable and stayed with me until the ambulance got there. I can't thank him enough for what he did.”
Gary was taken to hospital where he underwent an X-ray. Although his arm was not broken, glass shards had become embedded in it and had to be removed. He was given nine stitches in his forearm and was left with bruising and scratches across the rest of his arm.
He said he is now expected to be off work for around two weeks. His stepdaughter was also taken for an X-ray and escaped serious injury, although she suffered lacerations to her shoulder when the brick came through the window.
‘We're lucky to be alive’
Gary said: “My stepdaughter is distraught. She's still in shock. It could have been so much worse.
“We could have veered off onto the pavement and hit somebody. If the brick hit me in the face, I would have died. If it hit my stepdaughter, she would have been killed instantly. We're lucky to be alive.
“You hear about this stuff happening on the news, but you never think it will happen to you.”
The van also suffered significant damage and had to be impounded. Gary now faces the cost of recovering the vehicle as well as having the windscreen repaired.
His stepdaughter, who had been singing along to K-Pop songs when the brick struck, said she has been struggling to come to terms with what happened. The 15-year-old told the ECHO: "I thought I'd swallowed glass because I felt the crunch in my teeth.
"I've been having a lot of panic attacks. I just want a heartfelt apology. My day was ruined and I'm really upset by it all, seeing my stepdad in that situation, it was so horrendous."
Seven vehicles damaged
Merseyside Police confirmed the force received several reports of a man throwing bricks at passing cars and vans on Great Howard Street, near Costco, at around 11.30am on Sunday, September 20.
Seven vehicles were damaged during the incident, including smashed windscreens and dents to bonnets and doors.
Officers attended the scene and detained a suspect after he allegedly attempted to hide in a nearby bush. Police Dog Poppy was able to find the man, who was then arrested.
A 39-year-old man, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of seven counts of criminal damage - recklessly endangering life. He remains in police custody.
Inspector Keith Kellett said: “This was an incredibly dangerous and mindless incident which involved a male throwing bricks at passing vehicles on a busy road.
“Not only did he cause significant damage to vans and cars, but he also injured a driver. It’s only through fortune that this didn’t lead to more serious injuries.
“Officers responded quickly and managed to detain a suspect at the scene who will now be questioned about his possible involvement.”
Anyone with information about the incident can contact Merseyside Police via their social media desk on X or Facebook, report information via the force's website, or call 101 quoting incident reference 26000772471. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website. In an emergency, always call 999.
