A Geraldton father says a rock launched at his car sounded “like a gunshot went off” after it smashed through a window and injured his young daughter last week.
Blair Lavender was driving home from horse riding lessons when he says four boys targeted his vehicle with a ging on Abraham Street in Karloo on Friday, launching a rock the size of two marbles as he passed.
The rock smashed through a rear passenger window and left his six-year-old daughter cut and bloodied. She was not seriously injured, but left scared and traumatised by the shocking incident.
“(It was) like a gunshot went off inside the car, that’s how loud it was,” Mr Lavender told 7News.
“Just the shock behind it and my daughter screaming (was) probably the worst thing.
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“She’s horrified, she doesn’t want to go along this section of road anymore at all.”
![Blair Lavender's young daughter was left cut and bloodied.](https://images.thewest.com.au/publication/C-12301008/b5f74d72831f4772ae36437eda410671fd1de8ac.jpg?imwidth=810&impolicy=wan_v3)
Mr Lavender, a volunteer paramedic, feared someone would end up dead from youths playing Russian roulette with this dangerous practice.
“We just don’t the see the end to it at all, when’s it going to stop is it going to stop when someone gets killed,” he said.
Police were called and officers attended and searched the scene, but the culprits had fled by that stage.
Police have been working with community groups in a bid to tackle the growing scourge of rock-throwing, with forums held this year, hearing from victims.
![The inside of Blair Lavender's car after the rock attack.](https://images.thewest.com.au/publication/C-12301008/40a2a5c7e4aaf3fd2937f2849b77db1697700349.jpg?imwidth=810&impolicy=wan_v3)
The Geraldton Guardian has previously reported that taxis used by people with disabilities have been targeted by idiots with gings, while the Mid West and Gascoyne’s top cop Steve Post has also been a victim of rock-throwing.
Police plan to soon roll out video victim impact statements to be played across schools.