Police arrest Bixby man in fatal `road rage' accident

Saturday, September 22nd 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

JENKS, Okla. (AP) _ Jenks police have arrested a Bixby man in connection with the July 23 death of a teen-age girl who was riding in a vehicle that was forced off U.S. Highway 75, authorities said.

Officers took Nicholas Jay Horath into custody on Friday on complaints of first-degree manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, Detective Don Selle said in a news release.

Horath was driving a car when he allegedly became upset with the driver of another vehicle, police said. He allegedly pulled in front of the other car and slammed on the brakes, causing the other car's driver to swerve off the road to avoid a collision, police said.

The other car came back onto the road and drove under a semi-truck trailer, killing Alana Merchant.

``We hope this is a signal to other individuals prone to acts of road rage that this type of behavior will not be tolerated,'' Selle said.

Bond for Horath was set at $85,000.