Angry driver follows motorcyclist home, Florida cops say. ‘I’m going to run you over’
A Florida driver yelled at a motorcyclist, then followed him home and rammed him with his truck, a sheriff’s office said.
A motorcycle rider pulled up to an intersection outside the Cyprus Wood Golf Community in Winter Haven on Jan. 23 when a truck stopped in the middle of the intersection, according to an arrest affidavit from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The truck driver, 58-year-old Michael Bays, started yelling at the motorcyclist, but he had headphones in and only heard part of what Bays said, the sheriff’s office said.
Bays yelled, “you’re endangering other people, I’m going to run you over, I am going to cut you off,” at the motorcyclist, deputies said.
The motorcyclist ignored him and drove around the truck to head home, the sheriff’s office said.
The motorcyclist made it back to his house, pulled into his carport and got off his motorcycle, then saw Bays pulling into his driveway, according to the affidavit.
Bays got out of the truck to confront him, deputies said.
The motorcyclist told Bays he had a knife on him and would use it to defend himself, according to the affidavit.
Bays got back in his truck, and as the motorcyclist was trying to take photos of Bays’ license plate, Bays hit the gas and rammed into him, the sheriff’s office said.
“(The motorcyclist) stated Bays then reversed the vehicle and (he) had to roll out of the way to avoid being (struck) again,” the sheriff’s office said. “(He) stated he did not make any threatening statement to Bays to place Bays in fear for his life to commit these actions.”
A neighbor watched the scene unfold, the sheriff’s office said, and told deputies he saw Bays hit the motorcyclist and then flee from the home in his truck.
The motorcyclist had a dislocated ankle and “slight deformation” following the hit, according to the affidavit.
Bays was arrested on a charge of attempted murder with a weapon, the sheriff’s office said.
Winter Haven is about 60 miles east of Tampa.
This story was originally published January 24, 2024 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Angry driver follows motorcyclist home, Florida cops say. ‘I’m going to run you over’."
