‘Just nothing but harassment’: Rankin residents arrested for dangerous behavior affecting Rt. 9 drivers

RANKIN, Ill. (WCIA) — Two people were arrested in the Village of Rankin following harassment of drivers on Route 9. Some people in town say this wasn’t a one-time instance.

One adult and one juvenile were arrested Tuesday afternoon by the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Office following what neighbors are calling dangerous behavior on a major commuter road.

“Just nothing but harassment, just trying to do a daily thing that everybody does — drive their car,” said Rankin resident Tammy Kinnaird.

Kinnaird said hateful messaging towards police and county officials spray-painted on the side of the house is just the tip of the iceberg.

“Trash everywhere. I mean, it’s just, there’s just zero respect for commuters,” Kinnaird said. “The railroad, I mean, they’ve had issues with them. They spray-painted the viaduct.”

She said over the last two years, people from the house have thrown rocks at cars, blared horns, and even shot out windshields of vehicles passing through.

“The last straw was it happened to my husband’s cousin, James, and I mean, we just had so many people after our post message, saying, you know, ‘we want to do something about it, but we’re scared. We don’t want to get targeted afterward,'” Kinnaird added.

Kinnaird posted an image on Facebook earlier this week with a warning to those traveling on the road. Pictures show James Miller with swelling on his head from what he believes was a rock thrown at him while driving his motorcycle.

“I just had a feeling. I put both hands back on the handlebar, turned my bright lights on, and they popped out from the first tree right there, and that was it—instantly, it hit the front of my bike and then just smacked me right in the head,” Miller said.

He added that another dangerous case of harassment on Route 9 happened last week.

“They ran me off the road about a mile down about four or five days before that,” Miller said.

Then, Tuesday afternoon, the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at the property. The result was the arrest of one adult and one juvenile. Miller says he — and many other drivers in town — are breathing a big sigh of relief.

“Everyone else can, you know, go back and forth to work and home and enjoy their commute now, not having to worry about it,” Miller said.

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