CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 14-year-old Clinton Township boy captured video of hundreds of nails scattered across a gravel strip he rides his e-bike on nearly every day — a booby trap neighbors believe was placed by a nearby homeowner to keep kids off the path.
Watch Evan Sery's video report:
Caleb Kimbel was riding on the strip of gravel along Clinton River Road between Amherst and Maple drives Sunday when he spotted the nails hidden among the rocks.
"It looked like there were hundreds upon hundreds of nails hidden in the rocks," Kimbel said.
Kimbel recorded what he found and posted it to social media, where the video quickly drew outrage from neighbors and families in the area.
WEB EXTRA: Viewer video shows nails on the trail
"I was like, what the heck, dude, this could pop my tires, so I recorded it and posted it," Kimbel said.
Caleb believes a man who lives in a nearby subdivision placed the nails on the gravel strip to prevent him and others from using it to travel between Clinton River Road and the sidewalk. But while the man may have believed the property was his, the Macomb County Department of Roads says the strip actually belongs to the county.
A county right-of-way agent provided me with photos taken Monday showing boulders placed in the same location as the gravel strip. The same homeowner had previously been asked to remove both the boulders and the gravel last year.
Caleb's mother, Heather Rubins, said she was furious when she learned what her son had found.
"I was so incredibly angry, I find it disgusting this guy felt it was okay to do that," Rubins said.
Rubins said the intent behind the nails was clear.
"That is absolutely the worst thing someone could possibly do to try and harm children, because that's exactly what it was, kids," Rubins said.
Clinton Township Supervisor Paul Gieleghem said by the time police arrived to the area Sunday, the nails had already been removed. He credited Kimbel's video for the quick cleanup.
Kimbel said his goal in posting the video was simple.
"I was just recording it to tell people to watch out for it, so they don't get hurt," Kimbel said.
Rubins said the incident left her shaking her head.
"I've never seen anyone go out of their way to harm or hurt or cause conflict just because you're upset," Rubins said.
—————————————————————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
