An 85-year-old man in Michigan was beaten and hospitalized last week in a “completely unacceptable” road rage attack in a Kroger parking lot after pulling out in front of someone too slowly, according to police and the victim.
“He pulls beside me, beeping his horn like a raging maniac and calling me names,” Judo Whittaker told local ABC affiliate WXYZ from his hospital room about the Fourth of July incident at a Dearborn Kroger. “He is calling me names, throwing his finger at me, and all that bulls—,” the octogenarian said of his alleged attacker, John Kreitner, 55, of Westland.
“He comes running, he gets to my car real quick,” Whittaker said. “He gets deep into my face as close as possible and I told him, ‘Man, get your face out of my face.'”
Kreitner was allegedly “only an inch away” from Whittaker when he lunged at him, resulting in a tussle in which Whittaker claimed he fell to the ground and later required a hip replacement.
According to police, Whittaker allegedly pulled out in front of Kreitner as he was leaving the Kroger parking lot, sparking the attack.
“I am moaning and groaning,” Whittaker explained. “I really hit hard.”
Dearborn Police stated in a press release that officers responded to the area of Michigan Avenue near Nowlin Street, near the Kroger parking lot, after receiving reports of a road rage incident. Whittaker was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.
Witness reports and surveillance footage from neighboring businesses assisted police investigators in identifying and arresting Kreitner on July 5.
“Such violence is completely unacceptable in our city and we will use all resources to pursue justice for victims and their families,” Issa Shahin, the DPD chief, wrote. “We again thank witnesses who aided our investigation and the local business for the use of their surveillance footage that helped us identify and arrest the suspect.”
Kreitner was charged with aggravated assault and appeared in the 19th District Court on Monday. He was ordered held on a $20,000 cash bond.
