Police investigate after drivers report being hit by ice chunks

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP/ROCHESTER HILLS — The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is asking motorists to be wary on the roadways after receiving multiple complaints from drivers being hit by large chunks of ice in the Rochester area.

The incidents, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, happened Feb. 2-5 in various locations across Rochester Hills and Oakland Township.

On Feb. 2, a 62-year-old Oakland Township woman driving a 2019 Subaru CrossTrek in the area of Silverbell and Kern roads in Oakland Township at around 9:15 p.m. passed a vehicle driving west on Silverbell, and her CrossTrek was struck with a large piece of ice. Police said the impact caused damage to her car’s headlight, hood and fender.

The next day, at around 9 p.m., a 70-year-old man from Rochester Hills was driving a 2017 Ford Escape westbound on Tienken, west of Livernois, near Brewster Road, when an unknown person in an unknown vehicle reportedly threw a chunk of ice, striking the Ford Escape on the grille and hood, causing damage. The victim told police he “had no idea why his vehicle was hit.”

A 21-year-old man from Rochester Hills was traveling eastbound on Tienken Road when a block of ice struck and smashed the windshield of his 2022 Tesla Model 3 at around 11:27 a.m. Feb. 4. The man told police an unknown suspect was traveling westbound on Tienken in an unknown vehicle at the time of the impact.

Later that evening, at around 8:43 p.m., a 32-year-old man from Washington Township was driving a 2020 Chevy Malibu southbound on Adams, south of Dutton, when he heard something hit the front driver’s side quarter panel. He told police he didn’t immediately stop, but later noticed “a football-sized dent.”

A 22-year-old Rochester Hills woman was driving a 2019 GMC Terrain westbound on Tienken, west of Livernois, near Ironstone Drive, when she passed a pickup truck at around 10:39 a.m. Feb. 5. She believes a chunk of ice was thrown from the truck, smashing her windshield.

Although no one was injured during any of the incidents, officials said the victims’ cars were all damaged to varying degrees.

At press time, police had not identified any suspects, did not have any damage estimates and did not know if the cars were targeted.

“None of the victims know why their vehicles were hit,” Stephen Huber, a spokesman for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, said in an email. “The incidents all remain under investigation.”

Anyone with information about any of these incidents is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP, and police said tipsters will remain anonymous. Police are offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest.