Police on hunt for vandals who threw pumpkin through windshield of moving car in Suffolk County
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. -- It looked like an orange blur -- a pumpkin hurtling through the air shattered the windshield of a moving car.
Police say the Long Island driver and passenger are lucky to be alive. They told CBS2's Jennifer McLogan on Tuesday the hunt is on for the Halloween vandals who threw it.
"Something orange, spherical, looks like a ball was traveling towards my windshield. The very next second I know, it was through my glass," Nick Costi said.
Suffolk County police say it exploded like a missile on the driver's side windshield as Costi traveled westbound on Townline Road in Hauppauge. It was thrown from an unknown car speeding in the opposite direction. Investigators showed McLogan what was left of the pumpkin used as a weapon in what they say was no Halloween prank.
"I just kind of closed my eyes, opened them, I was still moving and I managed to pull over quickly," Costi said.
His girlfriend was in the passenger seat.
"I'm really glad she was there to be supportive of me, but I was glad I was able to support her," Costi said.
They quickly called 911 and Costi's parents.
"We rushed there to try to help calm him down, and then when I saw the car I was just horrified that someone would do something like this," Lisa Costi said.
The Costi family says the pumpkin-smashing brush with death reminds them of the teen vandals hurling a frozen turkey through the windshield of Long Islander Victoria Ruvolo back in 2004.
The impact broke every bone in her face. Ruvolo never fully recovered from the attack. She later forgave the teens who committed the crime.
"It could have taken my life and I'm really glad and grateful that I am here today," Nick Costi said.
"They are doing a search for video and, hopefully, we can get some identification on the car or the suspects who threw that. There would certainly be criminal charges," Suffolk County Police Chief of Detectives John Rowan said.
"I would love for them to turn themselves in, but I don't see that happening, unfortunately," Nick Costi said.
Nick Costi, who works at Long Island University, had just sold his car and, ironically, was to deliver it on the day of the crime. That is now on hold.
