Road rage driver hospitalized man with tire iron in Anne Arundel County
A Glen Burnie man is being held without bond after Anne Arundel County police say he struck another driver in the head multiple times with a tire iron during a suspected road rage incident, leaving the victim hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
According to Anne Arundel County Police, officers responded Wednesday evening to a parking lot in the 7000 block of Ritchie Highway for a reported assault.
When officers arrived, they found a 59-year-old man unresponsive on the ground while bystanders performed CPR.
"When officers came out to the parking lot, they saw an unresponsive male, 59 years old, lying on the ground there," said Justin Mulcahy, spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Police Department. "There were good Samaritans who were rendering aid, doing CPR until fire department personnel arrived."
The victim was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and remains hospitalized.
Details of the assault
Investigators say witnesses told police the victim had pulled into the parking lot in his truck and was followed by another driver, later identified as 40-year-old Brandon Lamar Harmon of Glen Burnie.
According to charging documents, the two men began arguing before Harmon allegedly retrieved a tire iron from his vehicle and struck the victim three times in the head. Police say Harmon then drove away from the scene.
Witnesses provided officers with a photograph and description of the suspect's vehicle, helping investigators quickly identify and locate Harmon.
"Those witnesses provided information which helped us ultimately locate the suspect through our Real Time Information Center," Mulcahy said. "We took him into custody and he was charged at his address in Glen Burnie."
Harmon is charged with first and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment.
Separate attack takes place on the same day
The incident comes on the same day as another suspected road rage attack in Anne Arundel County. Maryland State Police say a driver was shot while traveling on Interstate 295 in Hanover during Wednesday morning's rush hour commute.
Police arrested 21-year-old Darius Bryant in Washington, D.C., and charged him with attempted murder in that case.
"I just don't understand what people are thinking," said driver Mike, who was traveling through the area. "They act like there's going to be no consequences for what they do. It's just crazy."
Police are urging drivers to avoid engaging with aggressive drivers and to contact authorities if they feel threatened.
"If you feel like something doesn't feel right or you're being followed, don't go to your home," Mulcahy said. "Call 911, go to a populated, well-lit area like a police or fire station, and report what happened if you feel unsafe. You don't know what someone's intent is, you don't know what they're thinking, if they're armed, if they're going to go get a weapon, so we just ask for cooler heads to prevail."
Police say the victim is continuing to recover in the hospital. The investigation remains ongoing.