Posted on 09/14/2005 10:55:29 AM PDT by Puppage
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. -- Enraged after being cut off by a teen driver, authorities say a man then followed the high school athlete home and tried to run the youth down with his car. Instead, the 53-year-old was punched into unconsciousness and died Tuesday.
The teen was jailed, charged with aggravated assault.
Jeffrey Zucker, a lawyer for the 17-year-old, said it was a case of self-defense.
The charges against the boy, whose name was not released because of his age, were filed before James D. Munter died late Tuesday morning. The charges could be upgraded, but Bill Shralow, a spokesman for the Camden County prosecutor's office, said that decision would not be made Tuesday.
The youth cut off Munter, of Lindenwold, on a road in Laurel Springs on Monday evening, authorities said.
Zucker said the teen was on his way home from football practice around 5:30 p.m. when he inadvertently cut off the other driver.
Authorities said Munter followed the teen three miles to the student's home in Lindenwold, screaming through his window all the way. The teen used a cell phone to call his father, who told him to drive home, officials said.
When the teen arrived home, Zucker said, he ran across the street to his home from his still-idling truck, but he was not fast enough. With the teen's father watching, Munter drove into the youth, authorities said.
The teen, who Zucker said is about 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds, rolled off the hood of Munter's 1999 Mercury Sable, landed on his feet, walked to the driver's side of the car and punched Munter twice in the head.
Munter's son-in-law, Mark Serota, who described the man as "nice, fun-loving, goodhearted," said he lost consciousness instantly and never regained it.
Serota said police had asked the family not to talk about the details of the incident, including whether it seemed in character for Munter to follow or confront someone he considered to be a rude driver.
The teen was ordered to remain in the Camden County Youth Detention Center, at least until a hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Zucker said he hoped his client would be released to his parents then.
"It's a true tragedy because it certainly escalated into something that shouldn't have happened," Zucker said. "He was almost killed."
Zucker said three officials at the school where his client was a junior wrote letters supporting him, praising him as a good student and good citizen.
Gerri Carroll, the schools superintendent in Lindenwold, said extra help was available Tuesday for high school students who needed support after hearing about the incident.
The boy, she said, is an "excellent student, which is why this is very uncharacteristic."
If I was run over by a driver, I'd punch his lights out too!
Well, it wasn't exactly self-defense - but I can't say I blame him.
Self defense, no doubt about it. But how did two punches kill the guy?
The teen, who Zucker said is about 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds, rolled off the hood of Munter's 1999 Mercury Sable, landed on his feet, walked to the driver's side of the car and punched Munter twice in the head.
Holy Cow...if I was the father, I would have shot the SOB...
The dead guy could have used a course in anger management. Too late.
As for the teen - why was he arrested? Two punches is self-defense. That the man died from them suggests he had some underlying problem which will likely be revealed by autopsy.
Yes it was self defense. The driver was still in control of a deadly weapon until getting his lights punched out.
Uffda! Anyone who can say they've never accidentally cut off another driver is lying.
So, this guy loses it, runs into the kid at his house. I guess he chose the wrong teenager.
Road rage sucks. If I'm cut off, I take a couple of deep breaths and go about my business.
Self defense. Too bad so sad for the old timer.
Scratch one road-raging whackjob.
6'6", 300 lbs is how 2 punches killed the guy.
Thats what I was thinking...
if my son would have called his father...
his father would have been waiting in the front yard
with his shotgun for this lunatic
The driver tried to run over him with a car (and hit him with it). The driver was still behind the wheel with the engine apparently still running -- which means he still had the means to back up and try again. How in the world could you argue that going over and punching the guy (or if it were in a conceal-carry state pulling out a gun and SHOOTING the guy) is anything but self-defense.
The guy is 6'6 and 300#
As for the guy that got punched out, you go looking for trouble, you'll usually be able to find it.
"Well, it wasn't exactly self-defense - but I can't say I blame him."
Well, deliberately running over somebody is at least assault with a deadly weapon if not attempted homicide so that sounds like your entitle to defend yourself.
But I have less sympathy for people who tail gate and cut other people off. I wouldnt mind people spending the night in jail just for that.
Hmmm running the kid over was assault with a deadly weapon. Self defense as he was afraid the guy would back over him. The kids family should initiate a civil suit against the estate of this dead jackass.
brain aneurysm is more likely. He could have been killed by a punch to the head by a 98 pound weakling.
From this account, what the kid was able to do is nothing short of heroic.
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