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Road Rage Incident in Hagerstown

August 16th, 2012 by WCBC Radio

(Hagerstown, MD) – On Wednesday, 08/15/2012 at approximately 4:08 pm Tfc Lantz was traveling in a marked MSP patrol vehicle on westbound Route 40 just east of Mount Aetna Road when he observed two vehicles in the eastbound  lanes of traffic that appeared to be driving in circles around one another in
the middle of the roadway.

One of the vehicles involved was a silver Toyota Corolla  with Maryland plates.  At that time Tfc Lantz believed the vehicles were involved in a road
rage incident and he began to follow both vehicles as they were traveling  eastbound on Rt 40 at a high rate of speed with the orange Honda Civic with Maryland plates in the front. As they neared the intersection of Route 40 and Edgewood Drive, both vehicles were observed swerving erratically in the roadway.

 Tfc Lantz then got behind both vehicles as they turned
right onto Edgewood Drive with his emergency lights and siren activated. Both
vehicles pulled into the parking lot area of Martins Grocery Store off of Edgewood Drive and began making several laps through the parking lot at a high rate of speed.

 As Tfc Lantz got behind the silver Toyota it began to slow then stopped in a parking spot.   The trooper then made contact with the operator of the orange Honda  who advised the trooper that  the driver of the Toyota had just displayed a handgun at him.

Tfc Lantz exited his patrol vehicle and confronted the driver of the Toyota, later identified as 23 year old, Aaron David Zebediah Dagenhart   Mr. Dagenhart opened the door of his vehicle but sat in a manner where his hands were not clearly visible, while refusing to exit his vehicle.  After a period of noncompliance to the trooper’s orders, Dagenhart  eventually complied with the trooper’s orders to lie on the ground while the trooper had his weapon drawn.   Dagenhart was then taken into custody.  Tfc Lantz then removed a large knife from the waistband of Dagenharts’ pants.

Dagenhart initially denied having a handgun but then stated it was only a BB gun.  Tfc Lantz then located an all black BB handgun  on the floor of the vehicle's passenger side  between the seat and console.   Also located were a magazine and BB's in the console of the vehicle.

A search of Dagenhart , incident to arrest, revealed a container of bath salts in his pants pocket. With additional police units on the scene, Tfc Lantz  made contact with the driver of the orange Honda, 24 year-old Jonathon Allen Witt  and his passenger, 20 year-old Kimberly Witt.

Both subjects advised they were in the area of Hagerstown Community College when the Toyota began following their vehicle.   They then drove
into a development on Mount Aetna road when the driver of the Toyota
began to gesture at them and drive close to their vehicle.  Mr. Witt
advised he was in fear for his life and attempted to accelerate away
from the Toyota onto Route 40. According to Mr. Witt the driver of the Toyota attempted to ram the Honda at which point the driver of the Honda proceeded on
Route 40 away from the Toyota. After turning onto Edgewood Drive, Mr. Witt alleges that the driver of the Toyota displayed a handgun out the window of his vehicle and pointed it at the occupants of the Honda.

Senior Trooper Ardinger arrived on the scene,  took custody of Mr. Dagenhart and transported him to Washington County Booking where he was charged with the following criminal and traffic offenses:  (2) counts of 1st Degree Assault, (2) counts of 2nd Degree Assault, (1) count each of Reckless Driving, Negligent Driving, Driving without a license, and Driving on a suspended license.

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