Assault Victim Recovering From Near-Fatal Injury

For a week now, Lawrence Township have police closely monitored the condition of a man who was assaulted after a traffic collision on Route 1, fearing he might die from his injuries and become the township’s first homicide victim since 2001.

The 60-year-old Hamilton Township man, whose name is being withheld by police, was initially admitted to a local hospital in critical condition, suffering from a suspected brain hemorrhage. While the man is still not out of danger, his condition is slowly improving, a police department spokesman said today (Feb. 23).

A suspect, Rufus F. Bailey III, 29, of Town Court South, Lawrence Township, has been charged with aggravated assault in connection with the events that allegedly took place last week, according to township police Lt. Charles Edgar. Additional charges would be filed against Bailey if the victim dies, he said.

The traffic collision that preceded the alleged assault occurred shortly before 9:15 p.m. on Feb. 15 in front of the Exxon gas station in the 2800 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1), Edgar said.

Bailey was riding as a passenger in the Mercury Sable operated by his girlfriend, Ericka Pressley, 26, who lives at the same address on Town Court South, Edgar said.

He said Pressley was driving in the center northbound lane and moved into the right lane in an effort to pull into the gas station, but as she made the lane change the rear of her vehicle was struck by the front of the Nissan Sentra being driven in the right northbound lane by the 60-year-old Hamilton Township man.

The impact caused the Mercury to spin around and come to rest near the southern entrance of the gas station, he said.

Edgar said Bailey allegedly exited the Mercury, approached the Nissan’s driver and punched the 60-year-old man. The blow allegedly caused the 60-year-old to fall backward, landing in such a way that the back of his head struck the curb, he said.

The 60-year-old was barely conscious and had blood coming from his ears when the first police officer arrived at the scene, Edgar confirmed, noting that the victim was immediately rushed by ambulance to a local hospital.

Bailey allegedly ran from the scene after seeing how badly injured the 60-year-old was, but he was later located and arrested by police during the early-morning hours of Feb. 16, Edgar said.

He said Detective James Smith is continuing to investigate the incident.

Lawrence Township’s last homicide occurred when a man was fatally shot in May 2001 at the Sleep-E-Hollow motel on Route 1.