Police in Marshall County believe road rage is to blame for a two-vehicle accident that ended with a trip to jail for one of the drivers. It happened just after 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon in the area of U.S. 6 and Sycamore Road, according to the incident report.
Investigators say a pickup truck driven by 40-year-old Roger Miller had rear-ended a Jeep driven by 34-year-old Allison Verhaeghe of Walkerton.
The report indicates Verhaeghe pulled out of her driveway into the path of Miller’s truck. She reportedly became upset, and both drivers were yelling and making obscene gestures toward one another, according to the report.
Verhaeghe got in front of Miller’s truck and slammed on her brakes, which is commonly known as “brake checking.” It’s done to scare or intimidate another driver behind the vehicle, and in this case caused Miller to rear-end her Jeep.
Officers speaking with Verhaeghe believed she was intoxicated, and took her to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center for a chemical test before booing her into the Marshall County Jail. During the booking process, jail staff found a substance believed to be synthetic marijuana on Verheange.
Two children, ages 8 and 15, in Miller’s vehicle were treated at the scene. Formal charges against Verheange are pending.
