Pryor Road Rage Victim Talks

The victim of a road rage attack speaks out for the first time. He says this was not a fight that got out of hand, but a one-sided attack. He still can't believe he nearly died and is going to be

Tuesday, August 8th 2006, 10:33 am

By: News On 6

The victim of a road rage attack speaks out for the first time. He says this was not a fight that got out of hand, but a one-sided attack. He still can't believe he nearly died and is going to be scarred for life, for something so minor.

He told his story exclusively to News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright.

Bobby Petrescu is a 29-year-old family man. He drives a truck and was almost home after a couple of days on the road on Saturday, July 29th, when he says he tried to pass another truck. He says that truck sped up, so Bobby got in behind him. He says that trucker began slamming on his brakes and accusing him over the CB of hitting his back bumper. "He's cursing me, telling me I need to be taught a lesson."

Bobby says he pulled over to prove the two trucks never made contact. He says he thought the other driver would see the truth and realize there was no need to be mad, but that's not what happened. He says the driver just ran straight toward him. "He got about 15 to 20 feet away from me and I said, what is wrong with you? He said, I'm gonna kill you and he took a swing at me. I thought he punched me, no big deal."

But as this picture shows, it was a big deal. The man had cut Bobby's face. His nerves were cut, so he didn't feel the pain, but he did think about his little girl. "When they kept talking about if we don't get the bleeding stopped, he's not going to make it. That's when I got anxious. I just told myself I would be fine, there was no way I wasn't going to make it, no way she was going to grow up without a daddy."

William Thomas later turned himself in to police and tried to plead guilty at his arraignment, but was told by a judge he must get an attorney first.

To make matters worse, the company Bobby drives for, Sygma, has suspended him with pay and is refusing to pay his medical bills.