A 34-year-old Ocala man is facing several felony charges after he allegedly reversed his pickup truck into another vehicle and fled the scene during a road rage incident.
The incident occurred on the morning of Thursday, June 18, near the intersection of SW 49th Avenue and SW 112th Street in Ocala. A male victim was driving northbound when a Toyota Tundra, driven by Cody Lee Thomas, began “aggressively tailgating” the victim, according to a Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
While driving, Thomas reportedly entered the oncoming lane and passed the victim’s vehicle. Due to Thomas’ alleged “aggressive driving pattern,” the victim feared for his safety and began recording the encounter on his cellphone.
An MCSO deputy noted in the report that the victim’s video footage showed Thomas coming to an abrupt stop in the roadway for more than ten seconds. The video then allegedly captured Thomas shifting his truck into reverse and backing up several feet until his tow hitch collided with the front bumper of the victim’s vehicle.
Immediately after the collision, Thomas allegedly sped away from the scene. The victim did not sustain any physical injuries, but he estimated that it would cost between $1,000 and $1,500 to repair his vehicle’s front bumper.
During the ensuing investigation, Thomas reportedly contacted MCSO to report that he might have been hit by another vehicle, though he refused to provide his location to a responding deputy. The report stated that the deputy eventually reached Thomas by phone after traveling to his home address on Marion Oaks Trail.
While speaking with the deputy, Thomas allegedly claimed that the victim had repeatedly “brake checked” him, nearly causing a collision. Thomas also stated that he stopped in the lane to try and get the victim to stop as well, adding that his vehicle unintentionally “rolled back a little” towards the victim’s vehicle, according to the report.
When asked why he fled from the scene at a high rate of speed, Thomas reportedly told the deputy he was unaware that contact had been made between the vehicles.
On Monday, June 22, Thomas was placed under arrest and booked into Marion County Jail. He was released the following day after posting bond, and he is facing the following charges: criminal mischief with over $1,000 in property damage and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.
A court date for Thomas has not yet been scheduled, according to jail records.