Veteran Suffers Broken Ribs And Collapsed Lung After Tripod Thrown Onto I-5 Impales Minivan, Group Says
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The tripod thrown off a bridge onto Interstate 5 injured a veteran riding in a minivan passing below, a military family support group says.
According to a post on the group's Facebook page, it was an El Dorado Veteran Resources van that was hit in the Thursday morning incident. A volunteer driver escaped without getting hurt, but a veteran who was riding in the passenger seat was hospitalized with broken ribs, a half-collapsed lung, and had to get some stitches.
"Scary to think that just a few inches to the left could mean the difference between life and death," the group wrote.
California Highway Patrol said the tripod was stolen from a Caltrans survey team just minutes before it was thrown off the bridge.
A suspect, identified by authorities as a 32-year-old Matthew A. Thompson, was arrested after a short foot pursuit and struggle.
Authorities have said Thompson is a transient.
The group says the van will be out of commission for a while.
