A road rage incident could have turned deadly, but for the actions of a man who parked his pick-up truck atop the car behind him.
Per News 13, 18-year-old Zach Waring was driving with his girlfriend and 11-month-old child when he got into an argument with Adalberto Aponte, 53, at a red light in Ocala, Florida.
In the arrest affidavit, Waring told police that the older man has been driving recklessly since he appeared behind his truck, and that Aponte almost caused several crashes.
When both vehicles stopped at the intersection, Aponte got out of his Toyota Camry, walked towards Waring’s open window and started punching him in the face.
Fearing for his life, the victim’s girlfriend yelled that they were carrying a gun when Waring couldn’t stop Aponte from pummeling him. The police state that the victim and his family were unarmed and not carrying any guns.
The police report states that Aponte threatened her, and said, “I’ll show you a real gun.”
It’s at this point that Waring decided to back his truck into Aponte’s car behind him. He told police he “had no other option but to place his vehicle in reverse and hit Aponte’s vehicle in an attempt to prevent him from obtaining a firearm and causing further harm to him or his family.”
Police state that the red light stopped Waring from driving forward and away from the altercation.
Other witnesses confirmed Waring and his girlfriend’s version of the events. Police arrested Aponte on the spot and charged him with burglary, battery, criminal mischief, and driving with a suspended license, which he lost for failing to pay child support last September.
Had it not been for Waring’s quick thinking and actions, the story would’ve ended on a much less amusing mark.
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.