[TheForge] Shots fired? - YAK

[Larry and Pat Brown]

Search the inside of the vehicle real well. If something came in there will 
still be fragments of it. It could have hit at such an angle that the 
object glanced off breaking the window. I would watch the newspapers as 
someone shooting might do it again confirming that idea. I would guess it 
was road debris.
Larry Brown

At 10:04 PM 11/14/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>Allright - for some of you physics buffs...
>
>I was traveling on a 2 lane paved highway in the country and just passing a
>semi coming in the opposite direction when WHAM .... my driver's side, door
>window was fully crazed.  At first, there was a 2-3 inch x 1/2" slot in the
>window ... just about head height and right beside me, then the whole window
>slowly fell apart into my truck.
>
>When it happened, I realized the truck's cab had just passed but I was not
>yet beyond his duals.  I looked at my mirror and could also see the trucks
>mirror and they were both ok.  Thinking maybe something came off the truck
>or possibly that his wheel had blown, I turned around and caught up with a
>truck.  Nothing was apparently wrong with the truck and it may be it wa snot
>the same one I had passed since there were two cross roads between where it
>happened and where I caught up with him.
>
>When I had the window replaced, the repair shop suggested that I report it
>to the police because he thought there were some shootings in the area.  I
>went ahead and did that but the deputy kind of thought I was mistaken ...
>maybe he even thought I was nuts.  BTW - The deputy said there was a problem
>a couple of years ago in that area but nothing lately and that person was
>not found.
>
>I have done some thinking about this and there are two things that concern
>me.  First is the slot that was cut in the window right beside my head.  I
>saw nothing in my side vision and I have a wide vision area.  To cut this
>slot, the object would have to match that size or be moving very fast at an
>angle.  Second is that there was glass on my dash on the opposite side of
>the truck.  That seems to mean that the trajectory of the object was in the
>same direction I was going.
>
>My questions.
>
>What kind of force does it take to break this window?
>Do you think anything thrown up from the front wheels of the truck could
>have enough power in the limited angle it would have?
>
>I think maybe someone behind me and facing the truck was aiming at the
>truck's windshield and missed.
>
>Any comments?
>
>Walt
>
>_______________________________________________
>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>theforge mail list group photo site is
>http://www.photoaccess.com
>Login:  blacksmithblacksmith@hotmail.com
>password:  anvil
>___________