Hundreds of screws litter Highway 99 overpass, leaving drivers with flat tires in Elk Grove

In Elk Grove, a Sacramento-area community, drivers experienced extensive tire damage after hundreds of screws were discovered on a Highway 99 overpass. Reports of flat tires poured in on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, prompting police to investigate, though traffic continued normally. Tire retailers reported a surge in customers, with one location performing 60 flat-tire repairs in a day, far above the usual 20-30.

The city’s Public Works department found no obvious cause, but a local resident, David Irons, later showed how he used a magnet to gather many of the screws. Authorities have not identified how the screws arrived on the roadway. The California Department of Transportation advised motorists to file claims, providing photos, receipts, and details of the incident.