Near motorcycle accident leads to assault in Pontiac

PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - A near-miss accident between a motorcyclist and another driver should have been a good story.

No one was hurt in a situation that could have killed someone. Instead, the motorcycle driver is charged with aggravated assault after he started beating the driver.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, a 21-year-old driver was having trouble with his manual transmission, rolling his car back and forth from Orlando Street onto Caesar Chavez. That's when a 29-year-old on a motorcycle couldn't stop and laid his bike down to avoid a collision.

"A motorcyclist skidded to a stop and laid down his bike because a vehicle pulls out in front of him. It happens everyday," said Captain Mel Maier of the Oakland County Sheriff's Department.

What doesn't happen every day is the ensuing assault. The 29-year-old's road rage turned violent when he started beating the 21-year-old after an argument over who would pay for damages.

"It turned Into a discussion about who is going to pay for what. And that wasn't the time or place to do that," said Maier.

The 21-year-old is in stable condition, but is left with several fractures in his face. The 29-year-old has a history of assaultive behavior, including firearms as well as fleeing and evading police.