If you ever wondered what happens when you block traffic, jump on a stranger’s vehicle, and start smashing their windshield, Eugene Police just provided a helpful real world demonstration.
According to a post from the Eugene Police Department, officers responded around 8 p.m. on February 28 to reports of a large group blocking the roadway near 6th Avenue and Pearl Street. Earlier that evening, around 6 p.m., a black SUV was attempting to slowly move through the crowd.
That’s when things took a turn.
Police say people began striking the SUV. Instead of parking indefinitely in the middle of an angry crowd, the driver accelerated to leave the area. At that point, a 19 year old man identified as Shane Alexander Novak of Pflugerville, Texas, ended up on the hood of the vehicle, where he reportedly continued hitting and damaging the windshield before eventually falling off.
It turns out cars tend to keep moving when drivers press the gas pedal.
Novak was treated at the scene and transported by Eugene Springfield Fire to a local hospital for non life threatening injuries. He was later issued criminal citations for Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree and Disorderly Conduct.
The driver, a Eugene woman in her 30s, was also injured. Police report she suffered facial injuries after being struck in the face while her window was down. She was evaluated and transported to a local hospital as well.
There were also reports of damage to other vehicles during the incident.
In summary, if you attack a moving SUV and climb onto the hood, there is a non zero chance the SUV will continue being a vehicle. Eugene Police now have the paperwork to prove it.
