A 58-year-old Youngstown man is facing a felonious assault charge after police say a near-collision on a Boardman roadway escalated into a hammer attack that left another driver bleeding from the forehead. John Walsh was arrested on a warrant after the alleged assault and is now scheduled for a preliminary hearing next month.
According to WKBN, the confrontation began at the intersection of Youngstown-Poland Road and Mathews Road, where Walsh and another driver nearly collided. Police said the near-miss touched off a verbal argument between the two men before things escalated further down the road.
From there, the situation reportedly turned violent. As WFMJ reports, Walsh sped off down Mathews Road and drove recklessly before the other driver followed him to the intersection of Mathews Road and South Avenue.
Police Describe a Hammer Attack at the Second Encounter
Once the two men met again, police said Walsh got out of his car and began swinging a hammer at the other driver. The outlet's report states that Walsh hit the victim in the head with the hammer five to six times. The victim was left bleeding from the forehead, according to the police report cited in the same account.
Police said Walsh then left the scene, but investigators were able to identify him through his vehicle registration, per the outlet's earlier report. He was arrested on a warrant on Sept. 17 after the alleged attack.
Felonious Assault Charge and Next Court Date
Walsh is charged with one count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, the same report notes. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 27, according to the seed story from local12.com.
Details about the victim, including his name, age, and current medical condition, have not been made public. Court records to independently confirm the charge details and hearing information were not available at the time of this report.
