Interstate 80 rock throwing

The I-80 rock throwing is a case of criminal rock throwing that took place along Interstate 80 (I-80) on July 10, 2014, in Union County, Pennsylvania, critically injuring and permanently disfiguring a passenger. The high-profile rock-throwing case has received constant media attention.[1][2]

Incident

Sharon Budd, 52, a schoolteacher from Uniontown, Ohio, was a passenger in a car being driven west on I-80 in Pennsylvania by her daughter on July 10, 2014, when a rock smashed through the windshield of her car, hitting her directly in the face.[3][4] Budd suffered "catastrophic" injuries, including blinding of one eye.[2][5][6][7] Budd's husband, Randy Budd, who was sitting in the back seat while the couple's daughter, Kaylee, drove, testified that when the rock hit the car it sounded like "an explosion."[8] Matthew Baker, of Plainville, Massachusetts, who was driving a tractor-trailer truck, told police that a rock thrown from the overpass had hit his truck just before the rock struck the car in which Budd was riding.[4]

Keefer McGee, 17; Dylan Lahr, 17; Tyler Porter, 17; and Brett Lahr, 18, were reportedly on a "troublemaking spree" late on July 10, 2014, when they began throwing rocks from an overpass at cars moving along I-80.[8] McGee told police that the group had specifically planned to smash mailboxes with baseball bats and throw rocks at parked cars.[8] They had stolen steaks from a grocery store, driven through a field of corn (damaging the crop), broken the windows of a house with a baseball bat, and stopped at a farm to pick up rocks to throw, before proceeding to the highway overpass.[8][9][10] McGee was arraigned on charges of "aggravated assault, criminal trespass, propulsion of missiles into an occupied vehicle or onto a roadway, agricultural vandalism and recklessly endangering," on August 5, 2014.[10][11] All four were charged with "aggravated assault, conspiracy, recklessly endangering, propelling missiles into vehicle, agricultural vandalism and possession of instruments of crime."[3]

According to McGee, after hitting the car with the rock, the boys cheered.[9] McGee told the court that "We were all laughing thinking it was funny. We laughed, tossed out rocks, and drove home.”[12] They drove to the Lahrs' house where they began to watch a movie, but got back into the car and returned to the scene of the crime twice that night.[11] On one of those trips, police noted the license plate number.[11]

Arraignment and trial

Motions in the case were set to be heard April 30, 2015.[13][14]

The three younger boys moved to have their cases moved to juvenile court.[15] On April 30, 2015, Judge Michael Sholley ruled the 3 will be tried as adults, with the possibility of being sentenced for up to 25 years.[16]

Tyler Porter, 18 at the time of the incident, pleaded no contest to a charge of "conspiracy to commit aggravated assault."[17]

Gag order

An editorial in the Sunbury, Pennsylvania, newspaper has objected to the decision of Judge Michael Sholley to bar the victim and the public from his courtroom during a pre-trial hearing about permissible evidence scheduled for late April 2015, calling the decision inimical to an "open and transparent" judicial process.[1][18]

Rock as deadly weapon

Defense attorneys have challenged the prosecution's claim that the rock was a "deadly weapon", claiming that it was merely a "delinquent act" unless the prosecution could demonstrate intent to produce death or serious bodily injury.[3][13][19][20]

Sentencing

Brett Lahr (19) was sentenced to prison for 18 months to 20 years.[21] Tyler Porter, Dylan Lahr and Keefer McGee were sentenced to serve  4 1⁄2 years, 22 months and  11 1⁄2 months, respectively.[22]

Randy Budd

On August 7, 2016, Randy Budd died from an apparent suicide.[23] After the Interstate 80 rock throwing incident severely injured Sharon Budd, Randy advocated for the Ohio Department of Transportation to install protective fencing on bridge overpasses.[24]

References

  1. 1 2 "Editorial: Covert Courtroom Tests Public Trust". The Daily Item. Sunbury, PA. April 21, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Beauge, John (December 3, 2014). "Gag Order Sought in I-80 Rock-Throwing Case in which Ohio Woman Was Injured". The Patriot-News. Mechanicsburg, PA. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Beauge, John (January 5, 2015). "Defendant Wants Proof Rock that Injured Ohio Woman on I-80 Was a 'Deadly Weapon'". The Patriot-News. Mechanicsburg, PA. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Beauge, John (July 14, 2014). "Rock that Smashed Car Windshield Ruined Wife's Life, Husband Says". The Patriot-News. Mechanicsburg, PA. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  5. ↑ Beauge, John (October 17, 2014). "After 3 Months in Hospital, Victim of I-80 Rock-Throwing Says She's Ready to Go". The Patriot-News. Mechanicsburg, PA. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  6. ↑ Loreno, Darcie (February 9, 2015). "'I Can Forgive Them': Woman Hit with Rock Thrown at Windshield Makes Amazing Strides". Cleveland: WJW-TV. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  7. ↑ De Tore, Jackie (July 13, 2014). "Victim's Family in I-80 Rock Throwing Incident Seeks Justice". Scranton, PA: WNEP-TV. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Orso, Anna (August 19, 2014). "Teen Testifies Against His Friends in I-80 Rock-Throwing Case: 'We Didn't Think Anyone Would Get Hurt'". The Patriot-News. Mechanicsburg, PA. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Steak Dinner Preceded Rock Throwing". The Daily Item. Sunbury, PA. August 20, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Beauge, John (August 5, 2014). "I-80 Rock-Throwing Was Part of Teens' Planned Spree of Destruction, Police Allege". The Patriot-News. Mechanicsburg, PA. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 Scolforo, Mark (August 19, 2014). "Teen Testifies Against Pal in Rock-Throwing Case". The Washington Times. Associated Press. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  12. ↑ Lee, Peggy (August 19, 2014). "Union County Community Reacts to Testimony in Rock Throwing Case". Scranton, PA: WNEP-TV. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Teenagers Accused in Interstate 80 Rock-Throwing Incident Seek to Move Case to Juvenile Court". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Associated Press. February 1, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  14. ↑ Scolforo, Mark (April 30, 2015). "Judge Weighs Whether Rock-Throwing Defendants Were Juveniles". Houston Chronicle. Associated Press. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Three Teens Seek Juvenile Trial in Rock Throwing Case". Indiana Gazette. Associated Press. February 2, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  16. ↑ Scolforo, Mark (April 30, 2015). "Judge: 3 Teens to Be Tried as Adults in Rock-Throwing that Severely Injured Ohio Teacher". Daily Reporter. Greenfield, IN. Associated Press. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  17. ↑ Dedok, David (July 28, 2015). "Pennsylvania teen pleads no contest in rock-throwing case". Reuters.
  18. ↑ Beauge, John (December 29, 2014). "Union County DA Opposes Gag Order in I-80 Rock-Throwing Case". The Patriot- News. Mechanicsburg, PA. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  19. ↑ "3 Pa. Teens Accused of Tossing Rock that Injured Ohio". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. Associated Press. February 2, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  20. ↑ Scolforo, Mark (April 29, 2015). "Judge Weighs Whether Rock-Throwing Defendants Were Juveniles". U-T San Diego. Associated Press. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  21. ↑ Scolforo, Mark (June 23, 2015). "Rock Throwing that Hurt Ohio Teacher Nets Man up to 20 Years". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Teens Get Jail Time for Rock-Throwing Incident that Severely Injured Sharon Budd". Cleveland, OH: WJW-TV. Associated Press. September 3, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Randy Budd, husband of Sharon Budd, dead at 55". Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Randy Budd, husband of Sharon Budd, dead at 55".
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