63° CLOUDY, Apparent road rage incident results in arrest
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 1:12 p.m.
OCALA - A 44-year-old Ocala driver in a hurry to get to a pharmacy to pick up his medication was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after deputies say he chased another vehicle and caused an accident.
When Marion County sheriff's Deputy David Whitehead arrived at County Road 484 and County Road 475A, he met William Paul O’Day, who told him that he caused a crash by rear-ending a 1993 Chevrolet pickup truck, according to a Sheriff's Office report.
The deputy then spoke with Howard Dietz, an officer with the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, who told him that O’Day was driving too close to his state-issued white pickup truck west on CR 484 so he stepped on the brakes several times so O’Day would back off.
O’Day briefly backed off, but again began to follow too closely. Dietz said he then mashed his brakes, and O’Day drove around him and mashed his brakes so that Dietz had to go around him.
Dietz said the cat-and-mouse game continued until O’Day indicated he was going onto Interstate 75 heading north. Instead of turning onto I-75, Dietz said O’Day made a U-Turn, and followed him. Once he was beside the vehicle, Dietz said he swerved the car at his truck as they approached CR 475A and CR 484.
To avoid an accident, Dietz said he mashed his brakes, but O’Day missed his vehicle and instead struck the rear of another truck.
Dietz said O’Day got out his vehicle and threatened to kick his “old ass.”
The driver of the truck that was hit told the deputy that O’Day was driving aggressively and that just before O’Day’s vehicle hit his he saw him swerve at the other truck.
A 17-year-old girl who had been in the vehicle with O’Day told the deputy that O’Day gave Dietz the middle finger.
O’Day told the deputy that he needed to get to the pharmacy before it closed to get his medicine. The deputy didn't see O’Day’s vehicle because he had told the girl to take it and go to the pharmacy.
She came back with a different vehicle.
O’Day was then arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail.
- Austin L. Miller
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Comments
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November 18, 2008 3:51:44 pm
RE: Link
Why werenâ??t they both arrested?! They both instigated it.
November 18, 2008 8:08:41 pm
It doesn't matter if the guy hit his brakes trying to get the other man off his tail. That's not instigating. That's simply saying back off. Too many people out there are running so far over the speed limit it's sad! It's a shame there's such a rat race out there anymore and things like this are happening. I would definately slam on my brakes too if that were me. Instigating or not, noone needs to be in that big of a hurry!!! Besides, the person to the rear is supposed to drive defensively!!
November 19, 2008 11:55:46 am
All the aggressive drivers should be arrested. If you use the road at all, and try to drive the speed limit, you meet the drivers who want to get around you. They get on your bumper, pass on yellow lines, and honk. Of course there are wrecks, of course some run into others. They are blooming idiots, and they are everywhere. TAKE THEIR DRIVERS LICENSES AWAY, AND LOWER THE SPEED LIMITS. Bad thinks happen to good people because of bad people.
Go out to 44th Ave. near the I-75 Flea Market on Sunday afternoons. There the drivers want to drive 70 miles per hour on a 2 lane road. They pass on hills, and honk like crazy. Just check out that area and you will see accidents ready to happen. Rude jestures are normal there, it is road rage gone wild.
November 19, 2008 12:02:56 pm
If you can't drive with respect get off the road. If you can't be curtiouse to others and follow the laws and rules of the road...stay away from the steering wheel. Its bad enough that there are already honest accidents...let alone accidents caused due to rude behavior.
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