OHIO — A Westlake man has been charged following a road rage incident on Interstate 90 in which he allegedly threw a hammer at a semitruck, according to police.
The Westlake Police Department said the incident happened April 16 after reports of a confrontation between a pickup truck driver and a semitruck near Cleveland and Lakewood.
Investigators said the pickup driver was brake-checking the semitruck and made an obscene gesture toward the driver. The man then pulled onto the berm, got out of his vehicle and waited for the semi to pass.
According to police, the suspect walked into a lane of traffic and threw a hammer at the semitruck as it drove by. The hammer struck both the truck and the side of its cab.
Authorities used license plate information captured by Flock cameras to identify the suspect. Police said he was also wanted by Cleveland Police for felony vandalism related to damage at several downtown hotels and the Cleveland Convention Center, where repair costs are estimated to exceed $100,000.
Officers tracked the suspect to his home on Columbia Road, where he was taken into custody Monday. Police said the man admitted to the road rage incident and throwing the hammer.
He has been charged with criminal damaging by Westlake police and is also facing additional charges in Cleveland.
The investigation remains ongoing.
