I have had this happen to me twice as a pedestrian, in 2011 and 2012. I didn't care about what it does to the environment, it felt like a personal attack upon me.
As someone living in the exurbs of Detroit, this is something I've been familiar with for a few years. It's mostly common in the more rural areas, but it does creep into suburbia from time to time. See also: "brodozer"