PALMETTO, Fla. — Tom Schurger said he and some friends were enjoying a relaxing evening on his back porch Thursday night.

  • Bradley John Yost of Palmetto died after Thursday night incident
  • Witnesses say he was dragged underneath truck
  • Florida Highway Patrol has not announced charges in case

But before 10 p.m., his back deck turned into a front row seat to witness what he describes as a bizarre and disturbing case of road rage turned deadly.

"He stops and the next thing I know, a pickup truck pulls in the other lane next to him," Schurger said in describing the scene.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. Troopers said a 2018 Honda driven by Bradley John Yost of Palmetto was traveling eastbound on Bayshore Road.

A 2015 Chevrolet truck was driving behind Yost.

Troopers said Yost stopped, walked in the vicinity of the truck and was hit by it. 

"The guy in the car gets out, and we could see him walking around the front of the truck," Schurger said of Yost. "Obviously, there was some kind of anger going on. We had the music on, we could hear what they were saying. Next thing we know, the guy in the truck hit the gas. And we could see the guy being dragged underneath the truck and we're trying to stop him, saying, 'Hey! You’re dragging somebody.'"

Schurger said he watched helplessly as the pickup truck dragged the body into his RV park. It winded through the streets, leaving a bloody path in its wake.

Yost eventually became dislodged from under the truck and came to rest in the westbound lane of 73rd Street. He was pronounced dead by the North River Fire Department.

Michelle Miller says the debris left behind as the pickup made its way through is nauseating to think about. She was still emotional Friday about seeing the remnants of the bloody path where it passed right in front of her home.

"What could possibly worth doing something like that to a person?" she said. "Pretty much nothing. Nothing."

Witnesses say the driver eventually turned onto U.S. Highway 41 and drove nearly a mile and a half, dragging the victim's body to a Shell station.

"I wanted to grab that guy out of that pickup and step on him a couple times," Schurger said. "I mean you feel that. He killed somebody. Somebody just died. Over road rage. Over road rage. Stupid."

Schurger said the incident took him back to his days as a train engineer.

"I've seen a lot. I did 39 years on the railroad," he said. "I was an engineer. I ran the trains. I've seen a lot of people, hit a lot of people. Seen enough of that. And when I retired, I was hoping I wouldn’t have to see anymore."

No charges have been announced.