Hundreds of screws scattered across a Highway 99 overpass in Elk Grove left dozens of drivers with flat and damaged tires this week, sending commuters scrambling to tire shops that quickly filled up with customers. One local man took it upon himself to clear much of the hazard from the roadway by hand, darting between traffic lanes to pick up screws before anyone could figure out how they got there in the first place.
The Elk Grove Police Department sent officers to the area after receiving a call about the debris, according to the New York Post. Elk Grove began receiving reports of damaged tires from loose screws on September 1, per KCRA 3, which found screws scattered throughout the area near the overpass. Elk Grove Public Works inspected the overpass but reported finding no evidence of screws there, even as reports of damaged tires kept coming in from drivers nearby.
The Elk Grove Police Department said traffic was flowing normally despite the hazard, even as the Sacramento suburb experienced dozens of drivers dealing with flat and damaged tires. The cause of the screws on the roadway remains unclear, and it has not been determined whether the hardware fell accidentally from a vehicle or was placed there deliberately.
One Driver Takes Matters Into His Own Hands
A local man named David Irons ended up clearing most of the screws from the roadway himself. He said he was darting in and out of traffic lanes to remove screws, repeating the risky trip about three, four or five times to keep the road passable for other drivers…