Man arrested for allegedly throwing watermelon at truck

A man was arrested shortly after midnight Tuesday on suspicion of throwing a watermelon through the windshield of a passing pickup truck that was traveling east in the 18200 block of Southeast First Street near Fisher’s Landing late Sunday night, according to a Vancouver Police spokeswoman.

Tylan A. Lang, 20, of Vancouver was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault for allegedly throwing the full-size watermelon through the window of Gregory Hamilton’s late-model Dodge.

Hamilton, 40, was transported to Southwest Washington Medical Center to be examined for possible injuries to his neck and back. He has since been released, according to hospital officials.

The driver of the vehicle Lang was traveling in reported the crime after hearing about media reports on the incident, said police spokeswoman Kim Kapp. She added that friends in the car said they told Lang not to throw the watermelon.

Lang was in a vehicle traveling the opposite direction of the pickup when he allegedly threw the melon out the window. It slammed through the windshield and into the driver, who pulled into a nearby Home Depot and reported the strange event about 11:55 p.m. Sunday.

When rescuers arrived, “He was out of his vehicle, sitting in the parking lot, with glass and watermelon all over him,” said Vancouver Fire Department Capt. Kevin Murray.

“There was watermelon splattered throughout the inside of his car, along with the glass.”

Lang is being held on $10,000 bail.