Felony Hit and Run, Assault Charges on Rt. 1

A case of road rage Thursday evening led to the arrest of a 22-year-old Spotsylvania man.

The driver of a GMC Yukon reported that a white Honda CRX struck his vehicle on the left side while the driver of the Honda was allegedly trying to maneuver past him at the traffic light at Rt. 1 south and Cowan Boulevard, Natatia Bledsoe, Fredericksburg Police Department public information officer said in a press release.

Instead of stopping, the Honda continued across Rt. 1 into the parking lot of  Umi Restaurant. The driver of the Yukon followed, and both drivers got out of their vehicles.

During the ensuing conversation, the driver of the Honda allegedly reached into his car and pulled out an expandable baton, Bledsoe said. The Honda driver allegedly threatened the other driver with the baton and followed him back to his car, pulling open the door of the Yukon after its driver had gotten back inside.

Witnesses were on 911 with police dispatchers while the incident unfolded.

The Honda driver then got back into his car to leave, striking the Yukon a second time as he did so, as well as another vehicle that was parked in the lot.

From Umi, the Honda sped off northbound on Rt. 1, but made a U-turn at College Avenue and continued southbound again, striking a third vehicle, a Ford pickup, that was traveling on Rt. 1 just past Cowan Boulevard.

The Honda then swerved across the oncoming lanes of Rt. 1 and was intercepted by responding police at the entrance to the Fredericksburg Trailer Park on Spotsylvania Ave.

No drivers or passengers in the victim vehicles were injured, Bledsoe said.

The Honda driver, Christopher Dempsey, was arrested and charged with felony hit and run, two counts of misdemeanor hit and run, and two counts of assault. Dempsey was incarcerated at the Rappahannock Regional Jail under no bond. The expandable baton was located in Dempsey’s vehicle and seized for evidence.

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