In my opinion, one of the biggest problems in society today is the fact that people do not think about the possible outcomes of their actions before they act.

On Saturday night, July 3 at approximately 11:15 p.m., I was driving north on Interstate 95, bringing my 8-year old son home after he had spent the day at the New Balance Maine Distance Festival in Brunswick. As we drove under the Essex Street overpass, someone threw an object off from the overpass at our vehicle, striking it 1 inch above the windshield, directly above my head. I immediately stopped the car, and another passenger and I got out to investigate. The state police showed up moments afterward, advising us that the “perps” were more than likely long gone.

The thing that upsets me the most is not the extensive damage to the car, or the fact that my insurance will surly go up because of this incident. What disturbs me is the fact that if the object would have been thrown a split second sooner, it would have come crashing through the windshield, directly in my face, seriously injuring, or possibly killing the three occupants of the car in the ensuing crash.

I am sure that the person or people responsible were not out to get someone killed, or at least I hope not. I think they were probably out raising cain on the holiday weekend, and thought they would show their friends how big and gutsy they were by scaring the daylights out of someone. They surly didn’t think of the pain and loss that could have been the outcome of their senseless act.

I hope someone will read this and start thinking of the consequences of their actions before they act on them, or perhaps use this as an example to talk to their children about how a simple prank that seemed funny at the time could easily turn disastrous. I would also like to thank the trooper on the scene for his help not only with the reports but also for helping to calm me down.

Donald Russell lives in Lincoln.