What a waste of pie.
Two men in Boulder, Colo., threw the dessert at each other during a road-rage altercation that quickly escalated from a food fight into something more serious.
Adam Raley told Boulder police that he was followed home from a Safeway grocery store on Monday.
Raley admitted he tends to drive aggressively in his Corolla and in his statement said he "may have cut off a late model Nissan" on the way.
Raley told police he thought the driver of "blue Isuzu or Geo Tracker type vehicle" took offense and followed him into the parking lot at his apartment complex. Once there, Raley said he asked the other driver, "Can I help you?"
At that point, Raley said the other driver threw something at his car. It turned out to be a pecan pie.
"Adam said he went over, picked up some of what was left of the pie and 'threw it back,'" the police report states.
At that point, Raley alleges the other driver got back in his car, "hit the pedal," and drove right at him. He managed to avoid being hit, but says the suspect next got out and broke a taillight on his car with a short tool before driving away.
A neighbor confirmed the story to police and described the suspect as both "deranged" and "out of control."
Police searched a license plate number Raley saw and traced it to 62-year-old Gary Strand.
When officers first spoke to Strand, police noted that he "shrugged his shoulders" and claimed to not know about the altercation.
He later said, however, that he'd seen the Corolla cutting off several cars and flipping him off.
Strand also said he followed the Corolla into the parking lot and "threw a pie," the police report states. Strand told the officer he left after Raley threw the pie back at him and denied driving his car at Raley or damaging the taillight.
Police arrested Strand, searched him and found a small flashlight that may have been used to damage the lights. The officer also recorded smelling alcohol on Strand's breath.
After being arrested, the officer wrote that Strand was wheezing and appeared to be trying to hyperventilate. The report says the wheezing stopped briefly after he was taken to the jail, but resumed when he was placed in a cell until he eventually fell asleep.
