Driver cheats death after bottles drop from highway overbridge

Auckland man Paul Lee escaped seriously harm after his car was hit by beer bottles dropped from a Bay of Plenty overbridge. Photo / Supplied

A motorist has cheated death after beer bottles were dropped from a highway overbridge, smashing a windscreen where the stunned driver was sitting.

Auckland man Paul Lee said he was travelling from Tauranga to Auckland on the new toll road early Sunday morning with two friends after a fishing trip when he was bombarded by a missile thrown at his car.

He said there was an almighty crash as glass objects - that appeared to be beer bottles - disintegrated just centimetres from his face as he approached the Parton Rd overbridge around 1.20am.

The shocked Aucklander said his windscreen was left shattered with bits of green glass embedded in the safety glass.

A photo of his badly-fractured windscreen shows the distinct circular imprint of the base of a beer bottle. The greatest damage is on the driver's side at head height.

"It was like a big crack noise," said Lee.

He said he was showered in glass as shards flew through his car.

Slamming on his brakes, Lee noticed two men running away from the bridge.

He said fortunately no one was hurt in the incident but it was troubling his car with three people inside was targeted as it travelled 100km/h.

"I was a bit angry because I could have been seriously injured," said Lee.

"We are thankful no one got hurt this time.

"I think this is a very serious type of a crime that can cause massive accidents and serious human casualties in a car driving at high speeds on a private road."

The car limped back to Auckland where the windscreen is awaiting repair.

Lee said he wanted to highlight the attack in order for motorists to be vigilant and prevent a tragedy from happening.

He said he would be approaching the Tauranga City Council and the NZ Transport Agency to discuss the need for a barrier on the overbridge railing.

It comes after a recent spate of rock throwing incidents off Auckland motorway overbridges.

In October a taxi driver was injured when a rock came blasting through his windscreen as he travelled from Auckland Airport on SH20A near Mangere.

Police issued a stern warning at the time saying motorists deserved to feel safe on roads.

In 2005 apprentice builder Chris Currie was killed after he was struck by a 8kg piece of concrete thrown from a bridge on Auckland's Southern Motorway.