Senior citizen injured in altercation
Published 5:00 am Friday, May 8, 2009
A Lincoln County man was injured Thursday afternoon at SuperJack Truck Stop in what officials believe was an altercationresulting from an incident on Highway 84 east.
Witnesses said a man, later identified as Gene Fugler, 80, ofLincoln County, had gotten out of his car at the convenience storeto speak with juveniles riding in a maroon car that had somehowbumped his car on Highway 84. They said a 15-year-old juvenile whohad been driving the vehicle struck Fugler in the head with a largestick after the two cars stopped in the parking lot.
“I was coming from work and I saw this dude rear back and hithim with a stick,” said witness Toni Craft, who said she was onlyable to get about half of the Lincoln County license plate on thecar carrying the juveniles. “I was more focused on helping him thanon the car.”
Craft said the man told her the juveniles in the maroon PontiacGrand Prix had almost hit his car on Highway 84 and when he hadtried to flag them down the cars collided. She said he told herthat they had followed him to Super Jack where the altercationoccurred.
Fugler was taken by ambulance to King’s Daughters Medical Centerwhere he was treated and released.
Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing said officers located thejuveniles when the family of the driver reported the collision.
“The juvenile went home and we were contacted by the familymembers about the accident part of it,” he said. “It’s still underinvestigation, but what we have officially is that there was somekind of accident and some kind of disagreement at Super Jack’s.They stopped there and some kind of disagreement arose where thejuvenile hit the older gentleman in the head with a stick.”
It is unclear whether the family of the juvenile knew about thealtercation in the parking lot of the truck stop, Rushing said.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department investigators spoke withinvolved parties and witnesses Thursday afternoon. On Friday,authorities would be working on determining what charges will befiled, Rushing said.
Under investigation is where the stick the juvenile used toattack Fugler came from, Rushing said.