Harrisonburg police say throwing snowballs at occupied vehicles isn't a harmless prank.

Two James Madison University students learned that lesson the hard way. Each faces a felony charge for throwing snowballs at a city snowplow and an unmarked police car.

Harrisonburg Police Department spokeswoman Mary-Hope Vass says both 21-year-old students were charged Saturday with throwing missiles at occupied vehicles.

Vass says any object thrown at a vehicle can result in the felony charge.

The incident occurred February 5 when police received a report that people were throwing snow at a city plow truck.

Harrisonburg Police Department spokeswoman Mary-Hope Vass explains what happened next in a news release given to the media Tuesday afternoon.

"As the officers arrived on scene, the offenders threw shovels full of snow onto the windshield of the plow truck and at an unmarked HPD vehicle. As the officers were exiting their vehicle, the offenders also threw snow inside of the police vehicle," says Vass in her news release.

"The release of this information was to alert residents of the seriousness of throwing objects at vehicles, while the vehicle is in motion. This incident happened in the middle of a snowstorm, when road conditions were already dangerous," says Vass in the release. "HPD and the City of Harrisonburg have received numerous calls regarding this incident. Please make note; this incident was more than a few snowballs thrown; it created a safety hazard for the drivers of both vehicles involved as well as adjacent vehicles."

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