Halton police say a teen is facing charges after a steel construction sign was tossed off of a highway overpass in Oakville.
Investigators say the incident occurred at around 8 p.m. on Wednesday at an overpass near Winston Churchill Boulevard and the Queen Elizabeth Way.
A video of the incident, which was posted on Snapchat and Reddit, appears to show a male throwing a large “Right Lane Exits” sign off of an overpass and into live lanes of traffic.
“Fortunately the sign landed in the grassy area which separates the merge lanes and the right lane of traffic on the highway, and did not strike any moving vehicles,” Halton Regioanl Police said in a news release issued on Friday night.
“Although no one was injured, this reckless criminal act was taken very seriously by the Halton Regional Police Service, and an investigation was initiated immediately.”
Police are investigating video that appears to show a male toss a sign onto the QEW. (Reddit / thatoneboii)
After issuing a public appeal for information, police say they received “a huge influx” of information.
Police say they identified a suspect in the case and an arrest was made on Friday.
The teen, who cannot be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been charged with mischief under $5,000 and common nuisance.
He has been released from custody and will appear in court at a later date.
“The Halton Regional Police Service would like to thank those members of the public and media who made efforts to assist with this investigation,” police said in the news release.
“Their cooperation with our investigators exemplifies the vitality and steadfastness of our community, and the effectiveness of collaboration in achieving a swift and successful resolution.”
This is the second incident involving someone tossing debris onto a busy roadway in Toronto so far this year.
In February, Marcella Zoia was charged with mischief endangering life, mischief damaging property under $5,000 and common nuisance after a video of her tossing a chair off a condo balcony was widely distributed on social media.
Her case is still working its way through the courts.
