Florida Fire Chief Arrested After Road Rage Assault

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We think at this point most people would agree that road rage has gotten out of control. Maybe we’re more sensitized to the topic since we see stories of incidents, many of them rather violent, every day. At least this one involving a St. Pete Beach district fire chief in Florida didn’t involve serious injury or worse.

Road rager picks up a felony charge under tough new law.

Still, it easily could’ve ended in the worst way. Cellphone footage shared by Tampa Bay Times shows Thomas McClave Jr. swerve his truck and bump a cyclist with his front fender before getting out and pushing the other man. This was back on May 23.

Just hitting a rider, even at low speeds, could result in a serious injury or death. The sheer size and weight of even a smaller vehicle puts cyclists at a severe disadvantage in such a situation. That’s even more likely when the truck is lifted and rides on bigger tires.

According to Tampa Bay Times, McClave, who was off-duty at the time, was in his personal truck when he came upon the cyclist who was using a shared travel lane. We know many drivers hate when cyclists and cars mix, feeling they’re being slowed down unnecessarily, but the way McClave reacted is the real issue here.

After pulling alongside the cyclist, McClave reportedly yelled for him to get off the road. That’s when the rider got onto the median and McClave bumped him with this Chevy.

McClave was arrested on May 23 and charged with aggravated assault and simple battery. A month later, on June 23, McClave was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage.

After his arrest, Tampa Bay Times uncovered the city was investigating potential violations by McClave. He resigned from his position at the fire department on June 19.

What’s interesting is the report indicates prosecutors still haven’t formally filed charges.

With how pervasive road rage has become in far too many communities, we can’t help but wonder if stiff consequences aren’t in order so societal order can be restored.

Images via Tampa Bay Times/YouTube

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