ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A man who chased down the driver in a hit-and-run incident ended up shooting out his own tire when the suspect tried to steal his car, deputies said.
Then he took a shot at the man when he lunged at him, they said.
The man, who would not give his name to Channel 9, took chase after Peter Neal, 31, who police said hit two other vehicles on North Pine Hills Road and fled the scene.
Neal’s truck was no longer drivable so he ran but the unnamed witness chased him down.
Neal, who was driving on a suspended license, was able to get into the man’s and lock the door after being confronted, deputies said.
The man told investigators that he shot out the tire of his vehicle to keep it from being stolen.
Neal got out of the car and lunged at him, at which point the witness shot at him but missed, deputies said.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Neal is likely facing three separate charges, including leaving the scene of an accident.
Investigators said they did not expect to charge the witness in connection with the shootings but urged the public not to follow his example.
“He got out there and created a confrontation, which is not what we would recommend because there are so many people out there with guns,” Orange County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Parks Duncan said.
At least one person received minor injuries in the initial crash.
WFTV
