Two boards with nails and screws were placed on a road in South Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County, over the weekend, Pennsylvania State Police said. 

In a news release posted to social media on Monday, state police said the homemade devices were found along Route 981 and Mendon Road on Sunday night between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. State police said the boards were "intentionally constructed with nails" and put on the road to damage the tires of vehicles or ATVs. 

Authorities said in the news release that the boards were removed before they could cause any accidents or injuries. State police said a device like the boards poses "a serious" danger to drivers and will result in criminal charges. 

State police are investigating. Anyone with information can contact the Pennsylvania State Police's Belle Vernon barracks at 724-929-6262. No other information was released by authorities on Monday. 

Dangerous devices placed on Pennsylvania roads

This was not the first time an unusual and dangerous device was intentionally left on a road in the Pittsburgh area. 

In August, the Tarentum Borough Police Department alerted the public on social media that someone was placing caltrops, a spiked metal device designed to puncture tires and cause damage, on roads. Several people in Brackenridge told KDKA in August that the objects had damaged their tires.

"We came home from the park, stopped the car, opened the door, and when we opened it, we could hear a hiss," said Brett Cote, whose tire was flattened by a caltrop.  

Police have not shared an update on the investigation.