Tossed Tombstone Injures Driver

A Green Country truck driver is in critical condition after a piece of a tombstone was tossed from an overpass onto his windshield.  It happened at about 1 o'clock Thursday morning along the Cherokee Turnpike just west of Locust Grove.  News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports a 25 pound chunk of gray marble crashed through his windshield.

66 year old Gerald Webb of Porum was driving westbound on the Cherokee Turnpike, when suddenly; someone tossed part of a headstone off an overpass.

"This thing was like a missile that came through the window and struck him," said Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. George Brown.

After the truck was hit, it crossed two eastbound lanes before coming to rest on the side of the highway.

"You think of this vehicle going 65 miles an hour," said Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. George Brown.  "This driver was doing his job and now he's injured, through no fault of his own.  When somebody does this, they mean to injure somebody."

The driver of the truck was rushed by emergency crews to Chouteau and then was taken by helicopter to a Tulsa hospital in serious condition.  He has arm and internal injuries.

Webb's condition has since worsened, and he hasn't been able to talk with investigators.

"He's not doing real good, he's in ICU right now," said Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. George Brown.

There are no suspects and no witnesses have come forward.  Investigators hope someone either saw what happened or saw other suspicious activity in the area.  They hope someone can call with information.  They also hope the driver can pull through.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation should call the Oklahoma Highway Patrol at *55 or 918-256-3388.

The case is considered a felony assault, so anyone convicted could get up to ten years in prison.

Webb was driving a truck for Thompson Transport in Muskogee.