Woman, 20, is killed by rock thrown through her windshield as she drove home from work

A Colorado woman was struck and killed by a rock that was thrown through her windshield as she drove home from work.

Alexa Bartell, 20, was hit by the rock as she drove in the state’s Jefferson County at around 10.45pm on Wednesday.

Officials say Bartell was on the phone with a friend when the incident happened. The friend tracked her phone and found Bartell dead inside the car, which had come to a stop in a field.

“This is a 20-year-old female who was driving home from work and she’s no longer with us because of this senseless act,” Jacki Kelley of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.

“This is not fun and games, this is not a prank. This killed a woman last night and we want to know who did this.”

Investigators believe the rock was thrown from a vehicle or from the side of the road and now $17,000 in rewards for information have been offered.

Bartell’s death is being linked to several other incidents in the area the same night, which left two other people with minor injuries after rocks described as being larger than softballs were thrown through their windshields.

The sheriff’s office initially released a photograph of a truck they believed was linked to the incident but have since ruled it out.

JCSO has also asked Tesla owners in the area to review their electric vehicle’s computer systems for any footage that could provide clues. Tesla vehicles constantly record activity while they are being driven.