By Sam Douglass
WESTFIELD – On social media Thursday, several motorists in the Westfield and Jay area reported flat tires after driving over sharp metal objects scattered across the roadway. Residents reported finding the objects on Buck Hill Road in Westfield, at multiple locations in Jay, and also on Irish Hill Road in Lowell.
The objects resemble caltrops, small, metal, and often triangular, with multiple sharp points designed so that at least one-point faces upward when placed on the ground. They can puncture tires and pose a hazard to motorists.
Westfield resident, Sue Scott, reported discovering dozens of the objects at the intersection of Buck Hill Road and Route 100 in Westfield Thursday morning after stopping to investigate what sounded like a flat tire.
“I pulled over because it sounded like my tire was flat, and then when I got out to take a look around, they were everywhere,” Scott wrote on Facebook.
Scott said she collected around 50 of the objects from the intersection and roughly 100 feet up Buck Hill Road while waiting for assistance for her flat tire. She later wrote that one of the objects became embedded in the sole of her shoe while she was collecting them.
Another motorist reported that two of her tires were damaged by the objects on Buck Hill Road. Other locals described similar incidents, including claims that six spikes were discovered embedded in a single truck tire. In total, over a dozen individuals on social media reported getting flat tires or finding them on roadways. An individual in Enosburg reported his tire popping as well.
Hannah Shedd of Newport came across many of the caltrops while driving home from a work meeting along Route 105 on Richford Mountain in Jay. Shedd told VDC she was traveling around 50 mph when she came upon two piles of what looked like “big sharp tacks.” She was able to maneuver around the piles without sustaining any damage to her tires.
After pulling over onto the shoulder, Shedd saw that there were dozens of the objects scattered across the roadway in addition to the piles. She found a couple of cardboard boxes in the area and began collecting the objects that were still intact. She left many of them in the road that were already flat to the road, possibly after already being run over. Reportedly, there were other motorists, including a large truck, pulled over and checking their tires.
“It looked very intentional. Being spread all over the roadway making it difficult to dodge. It looked like someone was trying to cover the most amount of the road possible,” she said in an interview conducted by phone Friday morning.
Given the boxes with printed commercial labels and the consistency in manufacturing, Shedd believes that the caltrops are made commercially, however this has not been verified. Similar objects can be found listed with online retailers. Shedd contacted the Vermont State Police following the incident.
Other residents reported on social media that they found more of the objects scattered on Route 242 and Loop Road in Jay, and North Hill Road. The full extent of the affected roadways remains unknown.
Scott stated in a subsequent Facebook comment that she had contacted Vermont State Police, the Sheriff’s Department, and the Westfield Road Commissioner after discovering the objects.
Vermont Daily Chronicle reached out to Vermont State Police and Orleans County Sheriff’s Department seeking comment on the incidents, including whether an investigation is underway. According to VSP, they received multiple calls about the incident and dispatched a Trooper, however, there is no information available about the outcome. This story will be updated when information becomes available.