Police drone captures 3 kids tossing candy from overpass onto I-70 in O’Fallon, Mo.

O’FALLON, Mo. (First Alert 4) - O’Fallon, Mo. police released drone video this week that shows three juveniles tossing candy from the Sonderen Street overpass onto Interstate 70. The video follows a 911 call from a driver who reported something hit her windshield.

Police said the incident happened a couple of weeks ago. The department posted the video on X on Oct. 29.

What the driver reported

Caroline Hecker, an O’Fallon police spokesperson, said the driver called 911 after she drove under the overpass. The driver was not sure what hit her car, Hecker said. She told police it did not cause damage.

Hecker said the driver did not know whether the object was a piece of the overpass, such as concrete.

Police sent a drone and an officer to the scene. Hecker said the drone can get there faster.

The drone was docked nearby, Hecker said. Police launched it within 30 seconds of the 911 call. The officer was coming from another call.

The drone found three kids standing on the overpass over westbound traffic, Hecker said. While the drone waited for the officer, it spotted one of the kids, in real time, dumping something over the fence. Police later learned it was candy.

Police believe it happened multiple times.

Kids tracked on bikes

The kids then rode away on their bikes. Without the drone, Hecker said the kids would likely have been gone before the officer arrived.

The drone followed the kids and relayed their location to the officer. The officer turned on his lights and the kids stopped. They talked with the officer and admitted to dropping the candy, Hecker said.

Police called the kids’ parents, and all three were picked up after they spoke with the officer. No charges were filed, Hecker said. No property was damaged.

“That kind of follow-up is important because we hope that serves as a deterrent,” Hecker said.

Police warning

Police said in the post that throwing anything off an overpass into traffic is dangerous, no matter how small the object.

Hecker said it could distract or put drivers in a panic.

“Now all of a sudden you’ve got a crash at highway speeds and potentially catastrophic injuries, loss of life,” Hecker said. “So it doesn’t matter if it’s a Skittle or if it’s a brick. How tragic would that be if something like that happened? And we had a whole different story on our hands.”

Hecker said police do not tolerate the behavior.

She said the department deploys its drone about 100 times a week.