Road rage bat attack in Boca Raton

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Curse words, the middle finger and a spit in the face escalated into an assault with a baseball bat in a road-rage scuffle between two drivers on Palmetto Park Road.

Boca Raton police are investigating a road rage attack, which happened around 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the 1700 block of Palmetto Park Road, according to a police report.

A man driving a 2002 Jaguar FX pulled out a baseball bat and slugged Jeffrey Adams, 22, who was behind the wheel of a 2002 Ford Taurus, the report said, citing the victim and witnesses.

"It was traumatizing," the Pompano Beach man said Monday.

Adams said he was about to drive onto southbound Interstate 95 from Palmetto Park, but slowed to a stop as a traffic light turned yellow. The driver behind him seemed angry that he didn't try to beat the light, Adams said.

"Honestly, I'm not 100 percent sure why he was so mad," said Adams, who got away with just a few scratches and bruises.

The man driving the Jaguar got out of his car and cursed at Adams, he said, leaning through the Taurus' open passenger window.

"I just laughed and flipped him off," Adams said.

In turn, the man spit in his face and walked toward the driver's door. Adams, a mixed-martial arts fighter, got out to face him. He said the man began choking him and digging fingers into his eyes, so Adams began punching him in the face.

The unidentified attacker ran to get something from his car trunk, and Adams got scared.

"I thought he had a gun," he said.

The Jaguar's driver returned with a wooden bat, shattered Adams' rear-view mirror and slugged Adams.Eventually, Adams wrestled the bat away and used it against his attacker. The man scrambled out of reach and drove away, but Adams got his tag number.

Monday morning, police said they had identified a suspect, who faces charges of aggravated battery, vandalism and auto burglary.

Adams, who works at a sandwich shop, said he's getting a ride to work because he's still too shaken to drive.

"I'll be driving like a little old lady," he said.

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