Katie Hensman — on her first weekend out since returning to Queenstown permanently — was in the rear left seat in a Corporate Cabs taxi she caught with three other friends.
As the vehicle turned into Lake Hayes Estate, from Howards Dr, about 4.30am, the friend next to her said, "there’s glass in my mouth", Ms Hensman said.
"And then I was like, ‘I’m covered in glass’," she said.
A rock — "not quite as big as my fist" — which she located on her seat had struck the bottom left corner of her jaw.
She quickly realised it had not been flicked up from the road, but thrown through the window.
She and her friend "blinked out" glass bits from their eyes.
"I had cuts on the face and on my hands, but minor abrasions, nothing serious," she said.
"There’s so many ways this could have gone a lot, lot worse and seriously injured someone."
She immediately called the police on 111, who were going to come but then decided they could leave, Ms Hensman said.
The car stopped and her friends got out but could not see anyone.
Later that day, she visited the police to give a statement, and also sought medical attention this week.
In response to a community social media post, she found something similar had happened to four other people between 4am-4.30am.
Cab driver Aftaab Singh Sandhu said it appeared two stones had been thrown at his vehicle — "one made its mark, the other one grazed the front door."
"I don’t expect this sort of behaviour to happen in our wonderful little town," he said, echoing Ms Hensman.
"When things happen like this, it makes you really question, ‘well, what am I doing in my life?’
"I’m not one to show my emotions, but inside I’m just totally cut up, I just feel so bad, I can’t even tell you how awful it is."
He was unhappy police would not fingerprint the rock to see if it matched up with any "unruly people" on their data base.
He was insured, but beyond replacing the shattered window, he wanted to ensure his car was professionally cleaned before he resumed work, hopefully this weekend.
Queenstown Corporate Cabs boss Ian Paterson said he was "b..... well shocked" when he heard about the incident.
"It’s devastating.
"Who the heck would be out at four in the morning biffing rocks at cars going past?
"It’s annoying that taxi guys are out there doing a job, getting people home safely, and this sort of thing happens."
By Philip Chandler
