A Fort Myers man was arrested after investigators say he intentionally rammed a vehicle carrying a North Carolina family during a road rage incident in Martin County, sending the SUV off the road and into a barbed-wire fence.
Michael Jeffrey Spires, 36, faces charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and child abuse following the incident, which occurred over the weekend at about 7:30 p.m. near Kanner Highway and Interstate 95, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said the investigation determined the incident stemmed from a road rage confrontation, but found no evidence that the victims had participated in any confrontation.
Investigators said Spires attempted to run two separate vehicles off the road before using his vehicle to perform what deputies described as a PIT maneuver on the family's vehicle. The maneuver caused the vehicle to leave the roadway, spin and crash into a barbed-wire fence.
A PIT maneuver is a technique typically used by law enforcement during pursuits to stop a fleeing vehicle.
Before the crash involving the family, deputies said Spires also targeted a second driver. According to that driver, Spires chased her through the parking lot of a gas station before following her onto the highway, where she said he also tried to force her off the road.
All of the victims, including a child riding in the family's vehicle, were not injured, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies said Spires was displaying gang signs by flailing his arms and hands during the incidents.
Investigators also found a dog inside Spires' vehicle after his arrest. Deputies removed the animal without injury and later determined it had been stolen from someone Spires previously dated, according to the sheriff's office. The dog has since been returned to its owner.
Spires was taken into custody and remains charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and child abuse.