Driver Killed by Large Rock Thrown at Windshield in 'Tragic' Crime Spree

A 20-year-old driver was killed near Denver, Colorado, Wednesday night after being struck by a rock that was thrown through her windshield.

At around 10:45 p.m. MDT, 20-year-old Alexa Bartell of Arvada, Colorado, was driving in Jefferson County when a large rock was hurled at her windshield, according to a press release from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO). Law enforcement said someone could have thrown the rock from a vehicle or from the side of the road. Police are still searching for suspects.

"In the moments before she was killed, Alexa was on her phone talking to a friend when the phone went silent," read the release. "Alexa's friend tracked her phone and drove to [her location]. She found Alexa fatally wounded inside her car, which was off the roadway in a field."

Karlyn Tilley, spokeswoman for JCSO, told the Associated Press (AP) that Bartell was killed by the rock, not from crashing her vehicle.

Officers said Bartell's death may be a part of an "overnight crime series," listing four other instances where rocks were thrown at vehicles between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. Two other drivers suffered minor injuries from rocks crashing through their windshields, while another rock caused damage to the body of a vehicle. One driver was not injured by a rock that was thrown through their windshield.

Tilley told AP that the rocks were 4 to 6 inches in diameter and weighed 3 to 5 pounds.

All five incidents occurred throughout Jefferson and Boulder counties, JCSO said in an update on its Facebook page, adding that Bartell's death was "the most tragic" of the cases.

Law enforcement said the suspects could be connected to a light-colored Dodge Ram pickup truck and shared pictures of the vehicle to JCSO's Facebook page.

Investigators are asking for the public's help in finding the suspects. Jacki Kelley, spokesperson for JCSO, told Newsweek in an email Thursday that the owner of the vehicle had been identified, but no arrests had been made.

"We continue to ask the public for tips and leads that may help in identifying those who are responsible for this horrible crime," Kelley said.

JCSO noted in its release that Bartell's family is asking for privacy at the moment.

Kelley added in her email to Newsweek that the sheriff's department had not experienced "this type of crime spree before" when asked if the JCSO had dealt with similar incidents.

Update 4/20/23, 10:01 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional comment from JCSO.