Left inset: Aaron Williams. Right inset: Footage from a dash cam allegedly showing Aaron Williams prior to his road rage assault (Winooski Police/WCAX/YouTube). Background: The vicinity of Malletts Bay Avenue in Winooski, Vt., where officers claim Aaron Williams almost gouged out a man’s eyes in a road rage incident (WCAX/YouTube).
A man in Vermont experienced a harrowing road rage encounter returning from work, where an aggressive driver nearly gouged his eyes out, according to police. The victim’s father reported that his son came close to losing his vision during the vicious attack, which purportedly erupted after the suspect was blocked from passing.
Winooski police informed Law&Crime on Sunday that Aaron Williams, 44, from Colchester, is accused of cutting off the victim, exiting his vehicle, and engaging in a physical altercation after being unable to pass on Malletts Bay Avenue.
Williams faces felony charges of aggravated assault and maiming, with the latter potentially resulting in a life sentence if convicted.
“It was a road rage-related incident,” the Winooski Police Department told Law&Crime.
The victim, who is in his mid-40s and whose identity has not been disclosed, was driving on Malletts Bay Avenue around 8:30 p.m. when Williams purportedly began following him too closely before attempting to overtake. As the victim blocked this move, Williams sped past and stopped abruptly, causing both cars to halt.
The victim’s dash cam allegedly caught him exiting his vehicle, shouting at Williams, who was seen advancing towards him on video. Police claim Williams then attacked the victim, injuring his eyes by driving his thumbs into the sockets. The victim reported to investigators hearing a popping sound and experiencing intense pain, with Williams delivering further punches, as per the police.
Court documents obtained by local CBS affiliate WCAX show screen grabs from the victim’s dash cam of Williams that night. Police told Law&Crime that the alleged eye gouging went down off camera, but it was witnessed by at least two people, who have spoken to investigators, per officials.
The victim was taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center and underwent emergency surgery for his eye injuries. Doctors told WCAX that he is expected to regain his vision in one of his eyes, but not both.
“He couldn’t talk much; blood was just pouring from his nose,” Cathryn Blanchard, a local resident who witnessed the aftermath and called police, told local NBC affiliate WPTZ.
The victim’s father, Ronnie Bushaway Sr., says the man’s wife has “been with him the whole time” and he is expected to go through a “long” recovery process. He told WPTZ that his son works as a tractor-trailer driver and needs to pass his CDL license to work, which is in jeopardy now, according to the dad.
“He was active in his community,” Bushaway said. “All the neighbors love him.”
Williams appeared in court last Thursday and pleaded not guilty to his charges.
“This is an egregious offense that was committed on someone that was a stranger to him,” said deputy state’s attorney Susan Hardin during the proceeding, according to Seven Days, a local independent weekly. The judge overseeing the case noted the “extraordinary nature” of the attack and potential life sentence, Seven Days reports.
A bail hearing is expected to be scheduled in the next few weeks.
