Just as last weekend’s the deadly winter storm was slamming the east coast, a snowplow driver in Massachusetts found himself in more immediate danger when an angry motorist who had been drinking pulled out a gun and opened fire.
No one was injured in the incident, which the driver claims was instigated by the snowplow driver swerving towards his Jeep, the Boston Herald reported.
The tense situation started as driver Bruce O’Brien was following behind the snowplow. O’Brien told police that he became angry because the snowplow wasn’t actually removing any snow and its red flashing lights were bothering his eyes.
O’Brien flashed his lights at the snowplow before it began to pull over, but he and a witness both said the plow then swerved towards the Jeep. O’Brien said the snowplow began following him closely and he “feared for his life.” That’s when O’Brien took one of the two loaded pistols he had in his Jeep’s center console and shot three times.
The snow plow wasn’t hit by any bullets, and O’Brien said he was aiming at the ground.
O’Brien told police that he had a couple of glasses of wine at dinner with his wife, but he passed three field sobriety tests. The snowplow driver told police that O’Brien had been tailgating him and was driving erratically.
O’Brien was charged with discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, carrying a firearm under the influence of liquor, assault with a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct.
