PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. -- A Seminole teen was arrested for felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon for a road rage incident on Park Boulevard where he brake checked another driver, causing a serious crash, according to Pinellas Park Police.
- Luke Hellinger, 19 arrested after road rage incident
- Hellinger purposely caused a collision between him and the victims SUV
- Hellinger was released on $10,000 bond
''He basically was almost to a complete stop,'' said victim Jetaime Rogers, 36. ''I couldn’t stop because I was already going 45 miles-per-hour.''
According to an arrest report, Luke Helinger, 19, was driving a pickup truck westbound in the center lane on Park Boulevard at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Rogers turned into the center lane from 57th Street, causing Helinger to swerve to avoid hitting her SUV.
Police said Helinger then passed Rogers, cut her off and braked hard, causing a crash. Rogers lost control of her SUV, struck Helinger’s truck twice, spun and landed in a ditch causing significant damage to the vehicle.
''He didn’t even come over to see if I was alright,'' said Rogers. ''He just turned the corner and stayed on the opposite side.''
Rogers also said she didn’t see Helinger when she turned onto Park Boulevard and if she cut him off it was by accident.
''He was angry because he felt like I cut him off,'' she said. ''I never seen him coming. Just came out of nowhere.''
Rogers said she was transported to the hospital with some injuries to the left side of her body. We contacted Helinger at his Seminole home, but he declined to comment.
''He told his mother that he thought he saw a squirrel. That’s why he stopped,'' said Rogers. “She came over and told me and the officer the same thing.''
Sergeant Mike Lynch said it’s best to disengage when somebody cuts you off on the road.
''Just completely back off,” he said. “We want them to return to a driving safe mode.''
Otherwise, road rage could turn into a felony charge. Helinger was released from the Pinellas Jail on a $10,000 bond.