Charges have been filed against a motorist alleging that he purposely hit another car with his vehicle multiple times near St. Cloud before getting out and putting his fist through the driver's side window of the other car and punching a man in the face.
Gerald M. Salzer, 55, of St. Cloud, was charged in Stearns County District Court last week with gross misdemeanor property damage and misdemeanor assault in connection with the rolling road rage incident that occurred shortly before 7 a.m. on Jan. 20.
Salzer was jailed and released a day later on his own recognizance ahead of an April 22 court date. Messages were left with Salzer and his attorney Wednesday seeking a response to the allegations.
"From everything we could establish, the suspect got cut off in traffic by the victim and lost it," Police Chief David Bentrud said Wednesday. "Textbook road rage incident, I guess."
According to the charges and the criminal complaint:
Salzer purposely hit another car with his vehicle multiple times near St. Cloud. The final impact brought the other man's car to a spinning halt at N. 3rd Street and N. 11th Avenue.
The 308-pound Salzer got out of his vehicle, put his fist through the driver's side window of the other car and punched a man in the face. Salzer admitted to the allegations when questioned by police.
Salzer has a long and varied criminal history, including convictions for burglary, forgery, illicit drugs and violating a domestic abuse no-contact order.
Paul Walsh
