Backhoe driver accused of attacking dad in front of daughters during road rage incident on Pittsburgh bridge
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Pittsburgh city worker is charged with assault after a bizarre road rage incident. A video taken by the victim's children was released on Friday.
Donald Jones says not only has his life changed forever but the lives of his children too as they witnessed the alleged attack of their father, even pulling out their phones to record it.
"That was extremely hard in the situation to fend for myself then and watch over my children," said Jones.
It started as a typical day. Jones says he was driving his girls, ages 11 and 15, to school when he got behind a backhoe driven by city worker Paul Grguras on the Panther Hollow Bridge. Jones says he beeped the horn because Grguras was swerving.
Jones says the situation took a turn when Grguras immediately stopped the backhoe.
"After I honked my horn and thought he was going to pull to the side and let me go. Instead he cut a hard left and he cut off both lanes so I wasn't able to get around him," Jones said.
That argument escalated when Jones alleges Grguras broke his side mirror and sprayed him in the face with wasp spray. Jones' two children pulled their cell phones out and began recording. Jones says Grguras proceeded to yell racial slurs at his kids and at one point threatened to kill them.
"He yelled racial slurs at me, myself, and my children as well as threatened to basically do bodily harm to them," Jones said.
The altercation stopped when another city employee who was passing by intervened.
"I think it was because he was in fear himself and when we are in fear, we do attempt to defend ourselves," said Grguras' attorney, Phil DiLucente.
"I think better days are ahead for all parties in this and I'm looking forward to the preliminary hearing," DiLucente added.
Grguras has been suspended without pay. His preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 30.