BMW Driver Gets 14 Years In I-95 Westchester Road Rage Gunfire Case

HARRISON, NY — A terrifying road rage incident will send a Connecticut man to prison for a long stretch.

Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced on Friday that 45-year-old Stephen Escoffery, of Waterbury, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted by a jury trial last month of second degree criminal possession of a weapon, third degree criminal possession of a weapon, and first degree reckless endangerment.

The 14-year sentence applies to the second degree criminal possession of a weapon count. Judge Maurice Dean Williams also provided prison sentences of 2 1/3 to 7 years on each of the remaining counts. However, those sentences will run concurrently with the 14-year term.

Escoffery was also sentenced to five years' post-release supervision and was issued an order of protection for the victim.

"Motorists on our public roadways expect to navigate traffic, not bullets. It is unacceptable to recklessly endanger the life of a fellow motorist for any reason," Cacace said. "So-called 'road rage' is never an appropriate response to motorway disputes. Today's sentence reflects the seriousness of the offense, and my office is committed to prosecuting incidents such as these that imperil public safety."

SEE ALSO: BMW Driver Faces Felony Charges In I-95 Westchester Road Rage Gunfire

In December of 2022, the victim was driving north in the left lane of I-95, near Harrison, when Escoffery, driving a 2020 BMW X5, approached the back of his vehicle.

After a non-verbal disagreement, Escoffery then pulled up beside the victim's vehicle, waved a pistol at the victim, and fired it, striking the victim's vehicle.

In a victim impact statement read aloud by prosecutors during sentencing, the victim said that "the mental damage this incident has caused has been extremely challenging for me."

"Driving on the highway at night has become an anxiety-ridden experience for me," the statement continued.