Man Cited in Road Rage Incident After Couple Slowed for Deer

A 51-year-old man was cited for harassment in a road-rage incident that occurred the week before Friday at the intersection of Babcock Boulevard and Cemetery Lane made headlines. 

Paul Freismuth, of Ross, was cited Wednesday, July 20, after he parked his car and approached another with a couple inside at the intersection of Goldsmith Road and Siebert Road. 

The couple told police they were traveling on Siebert Road and slowed down near Sangree Road to avoid deer crossing the roadway. Freismuth drove around them, parked at Goldsmith Road and confronted the couple after they followed him. 

The woman, 48, of Shaler, was in the passenger seat and said Freismuth slapped her. Freismuth denied doing so, police said. 

She was not treated for any injuries, police said. 

Freismuth told police the couple was driving extremely slow, and he said he did not see any deer. 

Because Freismuth got out of his vehicle first, he was cited as the aggressor, police said. 

"It is common policing practice in Ross and other communities to find greater offense at a person who exits their vehicle during a road rage case despite what began the dispute, or who was at fault initially," said Spokesman Brian Kohlhepp. 

at Babcock Boulevard and Cemetery Lane happened after a woman honked her horn at Donald Finnegan, 59, of Bellevue, for not stopping or yielding the right-of-way while turning onto Cemetery Lane. 

Finnegan punched the woman in the face through her car window and in front of her two young children, police said. 

Finnegan was arrested and charged with simple assault, harassment and careless driving. He is being held at the Allegheny County Jail as of Tuesday morning on a $25,000 bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in in West View. 

North Hills Patch Contributor Matt Stroud contributed information to this report.