Fight among neighbors ends with car driven straight into man’s home, Florida cops say

A man accused of “driving erratically” by his neighbors responded to the criticism by driving into a neighbor’s home — which prompted a homeowner to shoot at him, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.

No one was hurt, but the driver and shooter were arrested on assault charges, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

It happened around 10:27 p.m. Wednesday, July 20, in the unincorporated Weeki Wachee area, about 55 miles north of Tampa.

Investigators say deputies were responding to reports of an impaired driver when someone called 911 to report a shooting “related to the impaired driver.”

“A witness ... advised she initially called 9-1-1 to report a vehicle ... was driving erratically around the neighborhood. She advised, at times, (the motorist) was driving at a high-rate of speed while children were playing outside,” the sheriff’s office said.

“She also witnessed another neighbor step out in the roadway and tell (the driver) to slow down. When the neighbor returned to his yard, the (driver) proceeded to drive his vehicle onto the neighbor’s yard, past the man, and collide with the neighbor’s residence.”

The driver then got out of the vehicle and “became involved in a physical altercation with two additional neighbors,” officials said. This went on for “a few minutes” before the driver got back in the vehicle and drove away, officials said.

That’s when one of the men involved in the altercation stepped into the road and fired a shot that struck the rear window of the departing vehicle, officials said.

Investigators found the 43-year-old driver at his home on Gennesee Drive and arrested him on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (vehicle), officials said.

The 41-year-old man accused of firing a gun during the dispute was arrested at his home, also on Gennesee Drive, and charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm in public, officials said.

This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 4:31 AM with the headline "Fight among neighbors ends with car driven straight into man’s home, Florida cops say."