Crime & Safety

Man Arrested, Accused of Ramming School Bus In Road-Rage Incident

On the same day as the road rage episode, the suspect was arrested on suspicion of being drunk in public, according to deputies.

A 35-year-old man was arrested today in a road rage incident in which he allegedly rammed a school bus on Highway 1 near Aptos, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff's deputies took Jeffrey Bowie into custody today at his residence in Marina on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, sheriff's spokesman Deputy Ryan Kennedy said.

At about 1:30 p.m. Monday, deputies answered a call about a vehicle road rage incident on the northbound side of Highway 1 near Larkin Valley Road south of the Aptos area, Kennedy said.

The driver of a school bus with one 3-year-old child aboard reported that a person driving a Toyota Corolla had intentionally cut in front of the bus and then quickly slowed down to only 15 mph, Kennedy said.

The bus driver attempted to veer away to avoid a collision but the driver of the Toyota drove next to the bus and tried to turn into it, according to deputies.

The bus driver then maneuvered into the break down lane of the highway but the Toyota pulled in front of it and then backed the car into the bus. The driver of the Toyota then drove away.

Neither the bus driver nor the child was injured, Kennedy said.

Deputies investigated and were able to identify Bowie as the driver of the Toyota, he said.

What precipitated the apparent road rage incident is not known, Kennedy said.

"We haven't really found a good reason for what set him off," Kennedy said.

On the same day as the road rage episode, Bowie was arrested on suspicion of being drunk in public, Kennedy said.

"Something is going on with him where he's not able to control his life," Kennedy said.

--Bay City News


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