Authorities say a southwest Michigan man is facing jail time after a road rage confrontation that involved a chainsaw.
Van Buren County officials say 68-year-old Leonard Lowell Yonkman of Paw Paw was sentenced to eight days in jail, with credit for three days already served. He was also placed on six months of probation. The incident occurred October 5 outside a store on M-43 in Waverly Township, just north of Paw Paw.
Incident Details
According to a police report, Yonkman told officers he retrieved a Husqvarna chainsaw after a woman approached his truck yelling and screaming. “The woman was yelling right in his face; she was belligerent and aggressive,” the report notes. Yonkman said he had no intention of using the chainsaw against her.
The woman told police she was pulling out of her driveway on her way to church when Yonkman’s pickup truck, which was towing a trailer, nearly collided with her vehicle. She approached the truck twice at nearby stop signs to ask why he had run her off the road.
Authorities say Yonkman then walked to the back of his truck and attempted to start the chainsaw, but he was unable to get it running. Surveillance video from a nearby grocery store captured a large portion of the confrontation.
Authorities Stress Road Rage Dangers
Law enforcement officials say the case is a reminder of the dangers posed by escalating road rage incidents. While Yonkman received a short jail term and probation, authorities urge drivers to avoid confrontations and report aggressive driving behavior to the police.
