A 58-year-old Middlefield man is wanted by police after allegedly punching another driver repeatedly in the face and breaking his nose following a car crash in Bainbridge Township, then driving away before officers arrived. Court records showed that, as of Monday, Daniel J. Pieronek had not been arrested, even though a warrant had been issued for him.
Pieronek is charged in Chardon Municipal Court with felonious assault, assault, disorderly conduct, leaving the scene of a crash and a marked-lanes violation, according to Cleveland.com. The outlet reports he is accused of repeatedly punching another driver and breaking his nose after their cars collided, then fleeing the scene.
Ohio defines felonious assault to include knowingly causing serious physical harm or causing or attempting to cause physical harm with a deadly weapon; the offense is generally a second-degree felony. The charge is an allegation, not a finding of guilt, and the statute sets out distinct legal theories for prosecutors. Ohio’s felonious-assault statute provides the framework for the charge filed against Pieronek.
The confrontation unfolded Thursday morning near U.S. 422 and Ohio 306 in Bainbridge Township. A 29-year-old Windsor man told police he was driving a Ford Fusion when a speeding Chevrolet Cruze, driven by Pieronek, cut him off while merging and clipped his car.
Pulled Over, Then Punched
Both drivers pulled their vehicles over after the collision. That's when, police say, Pieronek got out of his car and began repeatedly punching the Windsor man in the face before fleeing. The report notes that a witness saw the attack unfold.
Before Pieronek left the scene, the injured driver managed to photograph the Chevrolet and its license plate. The Windsor man then called police from a gas station parking lot rather than waiting at the crash site.
Officers Found Him Bleeding
Police officers responded at 8:37 a.m. and found the Windsor man with blood on his face, per the same account. He was not taken to a hospital from the scene, but he later sought medical treatment on his own.
Bainbridge Police Chief Jon Bokovitz confirmed the sequence of events, saying the Chevrolet Cruze clipped the Windsor man's car before Pieronek got out and punched him. Court records showed that, as of Monday, the arrest warrant for Pieronek remained outstanding, and he had not yet been taken into custody.
Ohio law requires drivers involved in a collision on a public road to stop and remain at the scene until they provide identifying and vehicle information to injured people, the other driver and a responding officer. Leaving without meeting those duties can constitute failure to stop after an accident. If the crash causes serious physical harm, the offense can be a fifth-degree felony—or a fourth-degree felony if the driver knew of the serious harm. The statute also requires a driver’s-license suspension.
