LAKELAND, Tenn. — New details have been released after a road rage incident in Lakeland ended in a hazmat situation.
According to the police report, two people in separate vehicles were driving in the area of I-40 near the Highway 64 exit ramp when another driver brake checked them. Eventually the suspect was somehow able to block their path on the exit ramp before exiting his vehicle armed with a hammer. The suspect allegedly came at the victims, threatening to hurt them and that’s when the victims took off.
Both victims said the suspect came after them, trying to hit them both with his vehicle.
Meghan Kelly and Jesse Adler witnessed the incident and called police.
“Eventually, there was some kind of road rage thing going on,” said Meghan Kelly.
She and Jesse Adler said they were driving down the road when they noticed the red Jeep acting erratically.
“The one in the red car was taking his whole vehicle and trying to ram into the black GMC over here,” said Adler. “And in the green pickup truck as well.”
Fortunately, no cars collided.
The Jeep eventually sped off, but shortly after, the two spotted it outside of Sprout’s grocery store.
“We were on the phone with the operator letting them know play-by-play as it was going on,” said Kelly.
Deputies arrived and were given consent to search Leonard Hunter’s vehicle. That’s when they found a pressure cooker, a hot plate, liquid Coleman camp fuel and at least two 40-pound bags of ammonia nitrate. They also located drugs, fake money and drug paraphernalia.
The bomb squad was called to the scene and suited up as firefighters and an ambulance waited nearby. It took hours to finally clear the scene.
Hunter was charged with aggravated assault, reckless driving and several drug-related charges.
