Mullens Issues Statement Regarding Incident

Oregon Athletic Director Rob Mullens today issued a statement regarding an incident involving two Oregon track athletes. While driving northbound on I-5 south of Rice Hill, Molly Graybill, 20 from Poway, California was injured when a rock was thrown from an overpass and struck the windshield of the car she was driving.

Molly Graybill is a student-athlete at the University of Oregon. Her passenger in the car, Chris Brewer, also a student-athlete at the University of Oregon grabbed the steering wheel in an attempt to gain control of the car after the baseball sized rock crashed through the windshield and struck Graybill in the face.

"It is difficult to comprehend when a random act such as this one happens to anyone, let alone members of our athletic family," Mullens said in a prepared statement issued on Tuesday afternoon. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Molly and Chris for a speedy recovery. They have the wonderful support of family, friends, teammates and coaches and we are very thankful both are expected to recover.

Brewer was unable to control the car as the vehicle traveled onto the shoulder and flipped, coming to rest facing the opposite direction the two had been headed.

Oregon State Police indicate that Graybill was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital at Riverbed, in Springfield for treatment of facial injuries.

According to Senior Trooper Dave Stone, the incident occurred November 26, 2012 at 10:40 p.m. The 1997 Subaru driven by Graybill was northbound on Interstate 5 near milepost 146 approaching the Isadore Road overpass.

An area search also led troopers to locate similar rocks near an overpass and 7 miles south of the incident scene near milepost 139.

Police are asking the public's assistance with information about persons or vehicles near the mentioned locations is asked to call OSP Detective Tom Willis at [phone] or the OSP Southern Command Center dispatch at [phone].

“I urge anyone with information on this incident to please come forward and contact the Oregon State Police so that no one else gets hurt.” Mullens concluded in the Athletic Department's statement.