Cromwell police arrest 1 man after road rage incident

CROMWELL >> Police have released details of a Sept. 16 incident in which a man who was allegedly attacking another driver in a possible road rage incident was stopped by the forceful intervention of the victim’s wife.

The woman asked the man to stop attacking her husband. When he refused, police say, the woman repeated her request — this time while leveling a registered .38 caliber pistol at the attacker.

The alleged attacker backed off — and then he called police. The incident took place on River Road at 10:06 p.m., Chief Denise Lamontagne said Thursday.

The incident had its beginnings on nearby Wall Street, when a vehicle being driven by Keith Royce, 49, of 539 Main St., Cromwell, nearly struck another vehicle, Lamontagne said. Royce then “followed the other vehicle at a very close distance” onto River Road, Lamontagne said.

Eventually, the other driver pulled over, perhaps assuming Royce would pass him. Instead, Royce got out of his car, Lamontagne said.

So did the driver of the other car, apparently to see what Royce’s problem was. Royce advanced on the other driver, allegedly yelling at him, “I’m going to beat the crap out of you, I’m going to kill you!” police said.

Royce then “pushed the man,” according to police, “and tried to hit him.”

As the two men scuffled, the wife of the other driver got out of the car, “screaming at Royce to stop hurting her husband,” Lamontagne said. When that didn’t have the desired result, “the woman pulled a firearm out” and pointed it at Royce as she repeated her demand, Lamontagne said.

The accused finally disengaged, stepped back - and called police, Lamontagne said. But when officers arrived in response to his call, they said Royce “was very uncooperative with investigators.”

The investigators also “detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his mouth,” Lamontagne said, reading from the police report of the incident.

After conferring with Royce, the the other driver and his wife, police arrested Royce and charged with him breach of peace and second-degree threatening. He was released after posting a $2,500 bond for a Sept. 19 appearance in Middletown Superior Court.

Lamontagne said the woman’s black .38 caliber Colt revolver was appropriately licensed. The woman’s husband was not seriously injured in the incident, police said.