Six vehicles damaged at Interstate 55 overpass

Wanda Dees of Marble Hill, Mo., saw a blindingly bright light while southbound on Interstate 55 late Sunday night.

"I slowed down and heard a big boom," she said. "My windshield was busted out."

Dees was the first of six motorists on I-55 whose vehicles were damaged by objects thrown from the Hopper Road overpass. After her windshield was shattered, the object bounced over the roof of her 1996 Chrysler Cirrus and damaged the trunk.

Cape Girardeau police arrested Christopher Ryan Burgess, 18, of 4849 E. Old Cape Road in Jackson, at the overpass. He was charged Monday morning with multiple counts of felony property damage, misdemeanor property damage and misdemeanor assault for allegedly dropping full soda cans, frozen meat and a frozen ice pack from the overpass onto oncoming cars on I-55.

He had also allegedly been directing a spotlight at the vehicles from the overpass.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said Burgess confessed to throwing the items onto the vehicles. Burgess was charged with nine counts of third-degree assault, Swingle said, for "recklessly placing the drivers and passengers of the vehicles in grave risk of serious physical injury."

Dees said she thinks Burgess should have been charged with attempted murder.

"It's a scary thing, especially the way things are today," she said. "You never know what's going to happen. You don't know what goes through their head."

Other vehicles damaged in addition to Dees' car were a 2000 Great Dane tractor-trailer cab belonging to Kevin Stone that had damage to its sunroof and roof over the cab; a 1999 Freightliner tractor-trailer belonging to Wayne Richardson and a 2000 Freightliner tractor-trailer belonging to Bennet Smith. The windshields of the Freightliner trucks were damaged. A 1999 Honda Accord belonging to Jeremy Flanders sustained body damage and a 1997 Honda CRV belonging to Carrie Jones sustained damage to its hood and windshield. Police said the truck drivers are from Wisconsin, Flanders is from Jackson and Jones is from Springfield, Mo.

Dees said she worked all of Monday at Sidetracks Grill and Bar in Jackson with a small piece of windshield glass in her eye.

"I haven't been to the doctor yet," she said. "I keep hoping it will work its way out. It's aggravating."

No other injuries were reported.

Burgess made his first court appearance before Associate Circuit Judge Gary A. Kamp, who set his bond at $50,000 cash. Burgess remains in custody, and his next court date has not yet been set.

A person reportedly with Burgess was not arrested, Swingle said, because there was no evidence he was directly involved with the incident. Swingle said the other person was found sitting in a nearby parked vehicle talking on his cell phone.

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160