A routine pizza run in Fulton, Missouri, ended with a trip to jail after police say a Domino's delivery driver struck a customer with his car during an argument over a tip on Wednesday night. Investigators say the customer had to leap onto the hood of another vehicle to avoid being hit again and was left with visible wounds. The driver, identified as 36-year-old Zachary Nicholus Walton, was arrested at work a short time later and is being held on multiple felony charges.
Court and jail records list Walton on counts that include first-degree assault, armed criminal action and leaving the scene of an accident. According to the Callaway County Sheriff's Office inmate roster, he is being held without bond in Callaway County.
Video shows driver taunting customer
Prosecutors say surveillance footage and video from the scene show Walton starting a profanity-laced confrontation with the customer before heading back to his car. Once inside, he can be heard shouting, "What are you going to do, b*tch? Come get me," then allegedly driving forward into the man. The probable cause statement says the impact forced the victim to jump onto the hood of a nearby vehicle to get away, a detail also described in reporting by WECT.
Police timeline of the incident
Fulton police say officers were dispatched around 7:20 p.m. to a home in the 500 block of Bluff Street for a report of a crash with injuries. At the scene, officers interviewed the victim and a witness. ABC17 reports the witness told investigators Walton became upset when he did not receive a tip and then "intentionally" accelerated his vehicle into the customer before driving away. Officers later found Walton at a Domino's store, where court papers say he admitted he drove toward the man in an effort to "scare him."
Charges, court date and prosecutor's view
Prosecutors have filed felony counts against Walton, and the probable cause statement argues that his alleged actions "demonstrate[s] a disregard for the law and safety of others," adding that "The defendant poses a danger to the victim and the community." According to news reports and the court filing, Walton had an initial appearance by video and is scheduled to return to court on Wednesday, May 6. PEOPLE reports investigators reviewed the affidavit in the case and reached out to Domino's for comment.
The case remains under investigation in Callaway County. The next scheduled hearing is set for May 6, when a judge is expected to consider the charges that have been filed.
