Motorist pulls gun on another driver, crashes during fiery wreck in Wadsworth, sheriff’s police say
A Ford Mustang veered off an embankment and burst into flames in unincorporated Waukegan Friday night after an apparent road rage incident.
An investigation revealed the driver of the Mustang had been involved in a traffic altercation with a 40-year-old Gurnee man in the area of Wadsworth Road and Delany Road in Wadsworth, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office.
During the fight, Joseph Ebler, 28, of the 11300 block of West Wadsworth Road in Beach Park, pulled out a pistol and threatened to shoot the victim while they were stopped at a traffic light, the sheriff’s office said.
The victim fled southbound and Ebler followed him, pulled next to him and pointed a gun in his direction.
Ebler then lost control of the Mustang and crashed into the embankment causing a fiery wreck, according to the sheriff’s office.
Ebler fled on foot, but sheriff’s deputies caught up with him a short time later. He did not have a weapon on him, but a canine was sent to the scene and found a gun 150 feet from the crash.
Ebler was uncooperative with authorities, appeared impaired and had suffered minor injuries in the crash, according to the sheriff’s department.
He was later charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.
