POLK CITY, FLORIDA — A road rage incident on Interstate 4 Thursday morning ended with a semi driver, his passenger, and a pickup truck driver all in handcuffs after a confrontation that escalated from lane changes and brake-checking to a roadside fistfight involving hair-pulling, groin scratching, and a cup of liquid hurled at a moving vehicle.
Florida Highway Patrol responded to reports of a road rage incident on I-4. Conflicting accounts from both parties required a trooper to sort out the sequence of events using video footage provided by one of the drivers.
How It Started
Semi driver Marcos Ramos Santa, 32, was allegedly changing lanes in an area pickup driver Jeffrey Leedle White, 47, said trucks were not permitted to drive. Leedle called 911 to report the reckless driving and pulled in front of the semi, slowing down to help police locate the truck. Ramos Santa and his passenger, Nasharelys Fernandez Rivero, 29, told the trooper a different story — that Leedle kept cutting them off and slamming his brakes.
At some point while both vehicles were still moving, Ramos Santa allegedly threw a full beverage cup into Leedle’s windshield.
The Roadside Fight
Both drivers eventually stopped on the outer lane of the highway. The two men began hitting each other. During the fight, Leedle told the trooper that Ramos Santa attacked his groin area. He also said Fernandez Rivero pulled his hair and scratched him. Emergency crews arrived and confirmed scratches on Leedle’s groin. Ramos Santa and Fernandez Rivero declined medical evaluation.
Leedle’s video footage led to all three arrests. Officers transported all of them to the Polk County Jail.
Ramos Santa faces charges of battery, reckless driving, and throwing a deadly missile into a vehicle. Fernandez Rivero faces a battery charge. Leedle faces charges of battery and reckless driving.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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