Road Rage in Jacksonville Leads to Aggravated Assault Arrest

A 35-year-old Jacksonville man was arrested recently after he and another driver got into an argument during traffic on the Fuller Warren Bridge, The Florida Times-Union reports.

The man now faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after being arrested following the alleged incident. These type of felony charges in Jacksonville are serious because they involve the use of guns and can be punished with long prison sentences. But a Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer is able to try to find ways to keep evidence out of trial and scrutinize all the state’s witnesses.In this case, according to the newspaper, a man was driving a flatbed wrecker on Interstate 95 northbound across the bridge when a man driving a Honda truck allegedly cut him off.

The driver of the flatbed honked his horn and told police he made an obscene gesture (possibly the one-finger salute), after which the driver of the truck alleged slammed on his brakes repeatedly and motioned for the wrecker driver to hit him, a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office report states.

The vehicles continued to Interstate 10 and both exited on Roosevelt Boulevard. The flatbed wrecker driver told police that he asked the driver of the Honda truck why he cut him off. The other driver allegedly then pulled out a handgun and slammed on his brakes. The gun wasn’t fired.

The wrecker driver called police and led them to a restaurant, which the Honda truck driver manages. The man told police the flatbed driver cut him off on the highway, which was followed by them exchanging obscenities. He said he pointed a drill, not a handgun, at the other driver, though he allegedly told police he does own a loaded handgun he keeps at the restaurant. A report states a handgun matching the description was found at the business.

Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is a serious charge in Florida, classified as a third-degree felony and punishable by up to five years in prison. According to Florida Statutes 784.021, aggravated assault is an assault with a deadly weapon without meaning to kill someone or while trying to commit a felony.An assault is simply a threat to do violence that creates a fear in a person.

The problem with road rage type incidents in terms of the prosecution is that people get so worked up in these situations they sometimes will fudge details. If someone says they saw a gun, they may be able to give police a vague enough description to match someone who regularly carries a weapon in their vehicle.

In other cases, the alleged “victim” in a road rage incident may be the person at fault and yet if they call police and accuse the other, it turns into a he said/she said battle that police must sort out. And sometimes, the person who first calls authorities is the assumed victim.

That’s why fighting these cases is so critical. False accusations or overblown accusations by victims can lead to unwarranted charges being filed against innocent members of society. A Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney will fight these charges aggressively in order to ensure justice is done. more If you need a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call Mussallem and Associate, PA at 904-365-5200 for a free consultation.

More Blog Entries:

21-Year-Old Jacksonville Man Sent to Prison for Life for Shooting: August 12, 2011 Additional Resources:

Man arrested after road-rage incident that began on Fuller Warren Bridge, by Matt Soergel, The Florida Times-Union