A Florida driver allegedly rammed a rental car carrying five people several times during an early-morning confrontation, leaving the Mercedes-Benz badly damaged and its driver’s door torn off.
Fort Myers Police Department officers responded at about 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, to Economy Street and Palm Avenue in Fort Myers. They found the white Mercedes at the intersection, while all five people who had been traveling in it remained at the scene.
Video footage showed a silver Toyota accelerating toward the Mercedes and striking it repeatedly, according to Gulf Coast News. One of the impacts occurred as an occupant opened the driver’s door.
A person who knew the suspected driver identified him to police as 22-year-old Holden Seth Thibodeaux. Cape Coral Police Department officers later located Thibodeaux and took him into custody.
Video Captured the Toyota’s Repeated Impacts
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The footage showed the Toyota approaching the Mercedes more than once rather than leaving after the initial collision. Police said the Toyota intentionally struck the rental car while one of its occupants was opening the driver’s door.
The impact tore the door from the Mercedes and caused substantial damage elsewhere on the car. The five occupants stayed behind and spoke with officers, but the station’s report did not specify whether anyone was injured.
Police Said Thibodeaux Was Found at an Apartment
Gulf Coast News reporter Muhammad Abdul Qawee reported that investigators said Thibodeaux had followed a car carrying his former girlfriend. Police did not describe what happened before the confrontation or identify the other occupants.
Thibodeaux reportedly remained in contact by phone with people in the Mercedes after leaving. Police said he indicated that he would not return while officers were still at the scene. Cape Coral police subsequently found Thibodeaux in his car at a nearby apartment building and arrested him.
The Booking Record Lists 2 Counts
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office booking record shows that Thibodeaux was booked at 5:37 a.m. Sunday. It lists leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
The record lists cash or surety bonds of $1,500 and $30,000. It shows that the bonds were posted Monday and that Thibodeaux was released at 2:12 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25. The booking record lists a hearing scheduled for Sept. 22 at 8:30 a.m.