Driver Charged In Road Rage Stabbing Out Of Jail, Tells His Side Of Story
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – The man charged with stabbing another man in a road rage incident is out of jail and telling a drastically different story of what happened.
Peter Whyte, 42, surrendered to authorities on Thursday and was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief. His bond was set at $11,000.
"When our investigators tried to speak with him he asked for an attorney," said FHP Sgt. Mark Wysocky after Whyte turned himself in.
His attorney Hilliard Moldof said in bond court Friday that Whyte had no prior criminal record.
Whyte's daughter and girlfriend were also present and say he never looks for confrontation.
"He's a good person, he does not look for trouble. I want the truth to be told," said his girlfriend.
The stabbing victim, 22-year-old Nolan Goad, told investigators that the road rage began on SW 10th Street between Dixie Highway and I-95 on Monday, August 17th.
Goad said his girlfriend, Tawny Grogin who was driving their red Chevy, honked her horn at Whyte after he reportedly cut them off in traffic. When she drove onto I-95, she realized he was following her.
She decided to pull over, hoping he would keep going but instead he pulled over behind her, got out of the car and walked to her vehicle.
Goad decided to get out and a physical altercation ensued. At some point in the fight, Whyte pulled a weapon and is accused of stabbing Goad in the ribs according to a witness statement given to the FHP. Whyte reportedly then got back in his car and left.
But Whyte says it did not happen like that.
Whyte said Goad was actually the aggressor and that Goad was driving the car, not his girlfriend as Goad told FHP.
Whyte claims Goad screamed racial insults and repeatedly cut him off in traffic
Once engaged in the fistfight with Goad, Whyte said he feared for his life and that's when he pulled out his screwdriver that he uses for his plumbing work and stabbed Goad.
Goad was not seriously hurt and was released with minor injuries.
Whyte says he didn't go to the police sooner because he was scared and wanted to find a lawyer before he turned himself, which he did three days after FHP publicized his picture and the car he was driving.
"The bottom line is both claim injury, they both pulled over. We'll have to look at the evidence to see what really happened" said Moldof.
