NEWS: Drive By Oranging

MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
10 May 2010

POLICE are hunting a motorist who brought a bus to a standstill by cracking its windscreen with an orange.

The driver of the Lothian Buses 31 service was left "shaken but unharmed" after the windscreen was struck by the projectile while he was driving along Kenilworth Drive, in the Inch, last Tuesday night.

The orange appeared to have been thrown from a passing Vauxhall Astra, which sped off towards Kirk Brae.

Police were called and another bus was dispatched to the scene to take passengers on to their destinations.

One passenger, Thomas Gaynor, 54, from Bonnyrigg, said: "We heard this big bang and then the bus came to a stop.

"A woman who was sitting at the driver's side said she had just seen the driver of a passing Vauxhall Astra throw an orange at the windscreen. The speed of the car must have given the orange enough force to crack the windscreen, and the damage was so bad that the driver couldn't continue.

"We had to wait until the police arrived. Eventually, two police cars pulled up and the officers went and had a word with the driver.

"He told the police that the bus was fitted with CCTV cameras on the front, back and sides, so they will probably have footage of the car as it was coming towards the bus.

"The bus was unable to carry on in that condition, so another bus was sent out to pick us up.

"Why would anyone throw an orange at a bus? If it was intended as some sort of prank then it was a pretty stupid idea."

Police confirmed that an investigation was under way.

A spokesman said: "Investigations are ongoing. Something was clearly thrown at the windscreen, and officers are currently making further inquiries."

A spokesman for Lothian Buses said the bus was taken back to the depot, where it was fitted with a new windscreen overnight and sent back out on the road. He said: "The orange hit the windscreen with enough force to cause a crack and it also gave the driver a bit of a fright.

"The driver was shaken but otherwise unharmed, although it could potentially have been much worse.

"If it was something harder than an orange, like a brick, it could have gone right through the windscreen and injured the driver and his passengers.

"Hopefully, through working with the police, we will be able to help with their investigations to trace the driver responsible.

"The bus is fitted with CCTV cameras, so we'll hopefully be able to pick out a registration number that police will be able to use in their inquiries.

"This was a mindless attack which could have resulted in some very serious injuries."