A Walnut Hill man was arrested May 23 and charged with one count felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after witnesses said he tried to run into his step-father's vehicle by using his vehicle in a road rage incident.
Andrew Corey Fanning, 28, 3030 Lambert Bridge Road, was driving in close range of his step-father, Jack Hammontree, who was driving eastbound on Highway 164 last Saturday, according to an Escambia County Sheriff's Office report.
The report said Hammontree told officers that while driving his daughter's 2008 KIA Rio, his step-son, Fanning, swerved head on into his lane. Dispatch advised they were on the phone with Hammontree and his wife, Pamela Hammontree when they were southbound on Highway 29.
Hammontree told the officers he swerved to miss the vehicle and Fanning continued to follow Hammontree within inches of his bumper, according to the report. Hammontree stated at one point that Fanning turned around and dropped off the daughter at 3030 Lambert Bridge Road but then quickly returned and followed him from Highway 164 until they were close to the Atmore cutoff. Hammontree told the deputies that he believed Fanning was chasing him so close that he believed a collision would happen at any time.
Officers responding to a rolling disturbance in the area of Highways 164 and 29 made contact with Fanning at the Tom Thumb located at the intersection of Highways 97 and 29. When officers made contact with Fanning, he denied trying to strike Hammontree's vehicle, the report noted.
Lori Morgan was in the passenger side of Fanning's vehicle and told officers under oath that when she was with Fanning in the vehicle, Fanning drove into Hammontree's lane at a high rate of speed. She said Fanning continued to drive and only stopped within inches of hitting Hammontree, the report said.
She stated Fanning backed up when Hammontree drove around him and began to chase him down Lambert Bridge Road.
Morgan stated several times Fanning came within inches of striking Hammontree, until Fanning turned around and dropped her back off with her mother.
Fanning was arrested and transported to the Escambia County Jail, where he was given no bond.
