Road rage incident leads to arrest

After being denied bond, an Atlanta, Georgia man remained in Franklin County lockup — arrested in an investigation of road rage last week on I-85 northbound.  According to Sheriff Steve Thomas, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office began its investigation after a 9-1-1 call that a gunshot was fired March 27 at one vehicle.  Thomas gave the following account to Lake Hartwell WLHR Radio:  “A preliminary investigation revealed that two vehicles, a sedan, and a pickup truck were engaged in ‘break checking and reckless driving’ while traveling northbound.  When the driver of the pickup truck exited I-85 at Exit 160, the sedan driver fired at his truck multiple times.  The driver of the pickup truck was able to contact 911 and provide a detailed description including the tag number of the suspect’s sedan.”  One definition of break checking is the act of sharply hitting the brakes while driving with a vehicle behind you with the intent of making the unsuspecting vehicle slam on their own brakes or swerve out of the way.  According to the Franklin Sheriff’s Office, the following charges were placed against 71-year-old Jerry Dean Hopkins:  aggravated assault with one count of aggressive driving; discharging a firearm near a public roadway; reckless conduct, two counts of pointing a pistol at another; and the possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.