An ordinary traffic dispute in the province of Catania escalated into a violent street brawl involving a family and a passing motorist, resulting in three injuries, three formal police complaints, and weapon seizures. Carabinieri from the radiomobile section intervened on the scene along via Metastasio in Tremestieri Etneo to break up the altercation, which began over minor congestion near a local municipal park.
How the Dispute Began Near the Municipal Villa
The incident started in the late afternoon when a female motorist driving her vehicle briefly halted her car on via Metastasio to hand a tissue to her two sons, aged 19 and 17, who were walking near the municipal villa. Directly behind them, a 60-year-old driver from San Gregorio grew impatient and began honking his car horn repeatedly to urge the woman to move forward. The constant honking provoked an immediate verbal exchange between the two teenagers and the older driver, which quickly turned physical.
As the argument deteriorated into a full-scale physical struggle, the mother stepped in to separate the combatants and sustained injuries during the scuffle. A local municipal police patrol happened to be in the area and temporarily intervened to calm the situation, halting the immediate clash before it could worsen further.
Escalation Involves an SUV and Baseball Bats
The quiet was short-lived. Shortly after the initial intervention, the father of the two young men and husband of the driver arrived at the location driving an SUV. According to police reports, the 46-year-old man immediately rammed the 60-year-old driver’s car with his vehicle. He then stepped out of the SUV brandishing a wooden baseball bat, joining his two sons in physically assaulting the motorist.
The violent escalation was halted only when a Carabinieri patrol unit arrived on the scene. Officers physically restrained the three family members and immediately called emergency medical services. Medical staff with the 118 emergency service transported the injured 60-year-old motorist, the 19-year-old son, and the mother to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Weapons Seized and Judicial Proceedings Initiated
Following the intervention, Carabinieri searched the family’s SUV and discovered two additional baseball bats stored in the trunk, which officers promptly seized as evidence. Investigators subsequently filed formal reports referring all three family members—the 46-year-old father and his two sons—to the Judicial Authority.
The father faces multiple criminal complaints, including the charge of participating in a street brawl alongside his sons, as well as an additional count for carrying weapons or objects designed to cause offense.
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