LEESBURG, Fla. — A Lake County man is accused of driving a tractor toward roadside workers after confronting them about their flashing work lights.
Johnny Aaron Paulk, 52, was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to a Lake County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit.
Deputies said two workers were parked along County Road 452 near Felkins Drive when they heard gunfire nearby. Their trucks had yellow and white warning lights flashing while they worked.
According to the affidavit, Paulk came out of a nearby driveway and confronted the workers about the lights. One worker began recording the exchange on a cellphone.
When asked whether he had been shooting, Paulk claimed the sounds were fireworks, deputies said.
A second recording captured Paulk threatening to flip one of the trucks if it was not moved, according to the affidavit.
The workers then ran toward their vehicles. A third video showed Paulk driving a red-orange tractor with front forks toward them at a high rate of speed, deputies said.
Investigators said the tractor’s forks struck the ground and became stuck, stopping the vehicle approximately 15 feet from one of the workers’ trucks. The worker maneuvered around the tractor and left the area.
Deputies later found the tractor behind a nearby mobile home and arrested Paulk without incident.
Paulk’s bond was set at $5,000.
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