Driver angry about being flipped off punches teen’s face through window, Florida cops say
A driver is accused of stopping in the middle of a road to punch a teen in the face after he said the teen flipped him off, deputies said.
The 39-year-old man and 17-year-old boy were driving in Weirsdale when the man started tailgating the teen, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office obtained by McClatchy News.
The teen told deputies the man was driving recklessly and tried to pass him on the shoulder of the road, according to the report.
The teen sped up to stop the man from passing, deputies said, then the man went into the lane next to the teen and sped ahead before pulling in front of him.
The man stopped his car directly in front of the teen, causing the teen to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the vehicle, according to the report.
The man got out of his car and walked to the driver’s window, deputies said.
Then, he punched the teen in the face and in the arm while yelling obscenities, according to the report.
The shock from the punch caused the teen to let his foot off the brakes and his vehicle rolled into the back of the man’s, deputies said.
When questioned, the man told deputies it was the teen who had been driving irresponsibly, according to the report.
The man told deputies he honked his horn at the teen and the teen responded by flipping him off.
The man said he got into an argument with the teen but did not hit him, according to the report.
Deputies noted the teen had redness on his face, and the two passengers in the vehicle with him also told deputies he had been hit, the report said.
The 39-year-old was taken into custody and charged with burglary with assault or battery, according to the sheriff’s office.
Weirsdale is about 55 miles northwest of Orlando.
This story was originally published November 1, 2023 at 1:04 PM with the headline "Driver angry about being flipped off punches teen’s face through window, Florida cops say."
