North Carolina Couple Arrested & Charged After Road Rage on I-75
Monday, August 24, 2009 | 01:42am
Tennessee Trooper Charges Passenger with Attempted Murder
NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Highway Patrol has charged a North Carolina man with two counts of Attempted First Degree Murder after he fired upon a Ford pick-up truck Friday evening on I-75 in Bradley County.
THP Sgt. James VanDyke arrested Alexander Milne Denison III, 50, of Topton, North Carolina, who was a passenger in a white Dodge Ram pick-up driven by his wife, 40 year-old Nicole Cartwright Denison. Ms. Denison is charged with two counts of Facilitation of a Felony.
At approximately 7:22 p.m. (EST) on Friday, Sgt. VanDyke was working in a TDOT construction zone on I-75 southbound near mile marker 30. The driver and passenger of a Ford pick-up stopped next to VanDyke’s patrol car, yelling that occupants in a white Dodge Ram pick-up behind them had fired a gunshot at them. Shortly thereafter, the Dodge pick-up passed by and Sgt. VanDyke proceeded to make a felony stop on the vehicle with North Carolina plates then waited for backup from a Bradley County Sheriff’s deputy.
After the passenger, Alexander Denison III, admitted he had a gun in the truck, Sgt. VanDyke recovered a loaded nickel plated .38 caliber Smith & Wesson from just behind the driver’s seat. Upon inspecting the victim’s vehicle, the Ford pick-up, Sgt. VanDyke located a fresh bullet hole in the driver door post, just behind the door at head level. The pistol and fired slug are being sent to TBI for ballistics testing.
According to the victims of the road rage incident, the Dodge Ram pick-up was speeding up and slowing down in the right lane of I-75 southbound as both vehicles approached a lane closure. The victims, in the Ford pick-up, were approaching from behind to wait their turn to merge left when the suspect began tossing bagels out the window. They then began to pass the suspect vehicle in the right lane in order to get into the flow of traffic when the victims say the suspect pointed the pistol out of the passenger window and fired a shot at them.
In addition to being charged with two counts of Attempted First Degree Murder, Mr. Denison is also charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. Denison’s wife is also charged with violation of traffic control device and cited for driving with expired vehicle registration, expired driver’s license and no proof of insurance. The couple was booked into the Bradley County Jail.
The Tennessee Department of Safety’s mission is (www.TN.Gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.