Video shows man body-slamming woman after apparent road rage incident in Massachusetts
ATTLEBORO - A Rhode Island man is under arrest after police said he body slammed a woman in an apparent case of road rage in Massachusetts Friday morning.
Started with minor car crash
It happened at the intersection of Route 1 and Route 1A shortly before 9 a.m. in Attleboro. Police said the man and woman were involved in a minor car crash when the woman hit the man's car from behind.
A witness told police the man, identified as 26-year-old Gladior Kwesiah of Pawtucket, banged on the roof of Hailea Soares' car and yanked her out of the car.
The witness said Kwesiah and Soares were arguing and when she said to leave her alone, Kwesiah allegedly picked her up and body slammed her to the ground. A witness filmed the encounter.
"I might die right now"
Soares, a mother to two young children, said she feared the worst.
"The only thing that I could think of was I knew I was in the air and by the time I was realizing I was in the air and I thought to myself, like, I might die right now, I had already hit the ground. And I didn't realize that I had hit the ground," Soares said. "It was like a weird sensation I felt on my face and that's when I realized I was on the ground and I rolled over and there was blood dripping all over my hands."
Police said they found Soares in the road, crying and bleeding from her head. She was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital with a broken knee, broken foot, an injury to her eye socket and a serious injury to her skull.
The attack was so violent, Soares says it's a wonder she was released from the hospital on Friday.
"I called my friend, and I started crying and I said I can't feel my knees, I can't feel my knees," Soares said. "I needed her to go get my kids, so she had to go pick up my children and all I could think was I'm probably never going to be able to walk again."
Suspect charged with assault and battery
Kwesiah was arrested and charged with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, vandalizing property and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle
"I don't know if he was having a bad day, I don't know what that was, but if that's the type of person he is, then I don't think he belongs in society with the rest of us," Soares said.
Given how Soares' day started, she's thankful she can see her one-year-old and eight-year-old children. "Nothing else really matters in life except for the people you love that are close to you," Soares said.
Kwesiah was arraigned Friday in Attleboro District Court. The Court set bail in the amount of $2,500 cash along with a condition that he has no contact with the victim.
