A 45-year-old Starkville man is charged with aggravated assault for supposedly shooting out the window of a truck in an apparent case of road rage.
According to Lowndes County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Marc Miley, Mark Belanger Thomas was arrested about 7:45 a.m. Thursday just off the Main Street exit from Highway 82 eastbound in Columbus.
The incident began about 7:30 a.m. eastbound on Highway 82 near the Highway 45 South exit. The victim, driving a Ford F-150 pick up passed Brown's Toyota 4 Runner in the right lane and the two men exchanged words "through open windows," Miley said.
"Brown pulled in behind the victim in the right lane, pulled a handgun and fired through his windshield into the rear window of the truck," Miley said. "Fortunately the victim wasn't injured."
The man called 911 and stayed on the phone with dispatchers as they got into Columbus and Brown exited at Main Street. Deputies stopped him at Community Road behind Waters Truck and Tractor and arrested him without incident, Miley said.
The victim is from Columbus, according to Miley, who said it is unclear where either driver was going at the time.
"Exchanging words happens on the road, even if it shouldn't. But you sure can't pull a gun and shoot at someone in another car. Everyone concerned is lucky," Miley said.