Metal shards found on Stoney Creek roads costing drivers hundreds in repairs

Posted: February 3, 2026 By: Emily Hwang

Several Stoney Creek residents say their tires have been punctured by metal shards on local roads in recent days.

The issue was first brought to attention by Serena Sopcic who had to replace both of her front tires, costing her more than $1,000.

Sopcic returned home from work last Tuesday when she heard a hissing sound from her right front tire.

She replaced that tire with a donut intending to take her tire to be fixed the next day, but the next morning, she discovered her front left tire had also gone flat overnight.

“In that area there’re a lot of tool-and-dye shops, so I thought it was just some scrap metal left over from fabrication,” said one local resident. “Through the Facebook group, everyone started saying ‘OMG I’ve seen these before.’”

Several other residents reached out to CHCH News with images and accounts of vehicle damages that range from $500 to $1,400.

Ward 10 Coun. Jeff Beattie said he has also received complaints from several constituents and the occurrence of these shards in his ward is a cause for concern.

“Still not outside the realm of possibility that one vehicle may have accidentally deposited these things but it strikes me that the randomness of this might lead to something more intentional, which would be really unfortunate if that was true,” Beattie said.

Tiffany Woodley, a representative of Kal Tire in Stoney Creek, said her location alone pulled out 15 metal shards from half a dozen clients’ tires in the past two days. They seem to be functional when assembled in two’s, forming a three-dimensional spike.

There are speculations online that these spikes resemble caltrops used by police. However, CHCH News confirmed Hamilton police does not deploy caltrops.

“Without knowing if you have a shard in your tire, you do run the risk of having that tire lose pressure rapidly, potentially causing a blowout — especially if you’re travelling at higher rates of speed,” Woodley said. “The most important thing is our customers’ safety. We want to make sure those tires have good pressure. A lot of the time, these things can be fixed. We determine that based on location, size, the angle of the puncture, but what we can’t fix is if a tire has been blown while its low on pressure then the damage to the inside of the tire is not repairable.”

Woodley suggests consulting tire warranty documents or check in with your tire shop for more information.

Hamilton police say they are investigating and encourage anyone with information to come forward. Those who haven’t filed reports are asked to contact police. Reports can be made online.

Police say they will canvas for video once they have mapped out the areas where the incidents are taking place.

If you are hitting the road this morning, it’s always safe to do a 360-check of your car, paying specific attention to the tires. It’s also recommended you have a spare tire in case of an emergency.

If a tire starts to lose pressure rapidly while on the road, avoid slamming on the brakes and release your foot from the gas, pull over to a safe space with your hazards on.