Man faces 11 charges after alleged confrontation with other drivers at Cape Coral crash site

Drivers in Cape Coral will tell you; traffic is a literal nightmare and often times they are concerned about the possibility of a road rage incident taking place.

“Every single day. It’s a nightmare, you know, morning traffic unless you hit that bridge at 7:30 You’re going to be stuck there all day,” Joseph Pavlicak said “People are willing to cut you off just to get five seconds ahead and you know, you slow down you’re too slow for them. They’ll risk your life and there’s just to get where they’re going 10 seconds faster people don’t care.”

That proved true Sunday afternoon after a 3-vehicle crash turned into a golf club wielding nightmare for drivers.

Antonio Guzman Garcia is facing 11 charges after Cape police said he was seen getting physical with other drivers at a crash site in Cape Coral. Even proceeding to break the car windows of a jeep involved in the crash.

According to the Cape Coral Police Department, on Sunday at 12:21 p.m., officers responded to at the crash with injuries on Cape Coral Parkway East and Del Prado Boulevard South. 

The caller reported the crash developed into a large disturbance between the involved parties.

Officers arrived to find a Chevrolet Malibu with heavy rear-end damage. They also saw a Ford F-150 with a utility trailer stopped in the left turning lane on Cape Coral Parkway East that was driven by Garcia.

According to multiple witnesses, a fight erupted between the involved parties. A third vehicle involved, a Jeep Wrangler with two people inside, was parked across the street from the scene.

Officers found a broken golf club a few feet from the Ford F-150.

Officers made contact 38-year-old Antonio Guzman Garcia, covered in blood, standing next to the Ford F-150.

Witnesses told officers Garcia rear-ended the Malibu, which rear-ended the Jeep Wrangler.

The driver of the Jeep told officers when he and his passenger went to take photos of Garcia’s license plate, Garcia started shoving him toward oncoming traffic.

The driver of the Jeep said they then stepped in to break things up between Garcia and the driver of the Malibu, who had a child in the car, and Garcia punched his passenger on the side of the head.

He said he and his passenger went back inside the Jeep and saw Garcia go back to his truck and grab a golf club, which he then used to shatter the driver’s side window of the Jeep.

The glass cut the driver and passenger inside. The golf club snapped, and the driver of the Jeep said Garcia started stabbing at him with the broken end of the club several times, so he drove his car across the street to wait for police.

The driver of the Malibu told officers she was on Cape Coral Parkway East getting ready to turn onto Del Prado Boulevard South when a truck with a trailer rear-ended her very hard.

She sustained minor injuries.

She said she watched the fight break out between the occupants of the Jeep and Garcia and witnessed Garcia break the window of the Jeep with a golf club and proceed to stab at the driver of the Jeep.

She said Garcia then approached her vehicle and hit her window with the golf club handle until officers arrived.

When officers spoke with Garcia, he was reportedly highly agitated and appeared disoriented. Garcia told officers he was attacked, and someone pointed a gun at him.

The Cape Coral Fire Department arrived on the scene, and while Garcia was talking to a firefighter, he appeared to go unconscious.

Officers observed he had bloodshot, watery eyes. He was then transported to a local hospital.

While following the transport, officers noticed the vehicle suddenly stop. When officers opened the back rescue doors, they found medics working to restrain Garcia, who was combative and physically aggressive.

One medic said Garcia spit blood into his face.

Officers helped restrain Garcia, and the transport to the ER continued.

Once there, officers observed Garcia to be profusely sweating, passed out, pale and could smell alcohol on his breath.

Medical staff at the hospital said Garcia had a blood alcohol level of .177, more than twice the legal limit.

Later, as officers tried to inform Garcia of his charges, he became loud and disruptive. He also began threatening officers.

It’s an incident that drivers in the Cape said have them on edge.

“I mean, overall, it’s just childish. You know, everybody, anybody that’s on the road rightfully has a license, you know the rules, you know how it should be. If you’re trying to get there faster, trying to break the rules just to save a little time. The only person you’re hurting is yourself and maybe the person you’re driving next to,” Pavilcak said.

“People can get a little aggressive. For sure. In and out. I’ve always got my eyes out, for sure your head has got to be in the game out here,” Robin Nicholson said.

Garcia is being charged with the following:

• Unlawful blood alcohol level of 0.15 or higher
• DUI damage to property and personal injury (three counts)
• Battery touch or strike (two counts)
• Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
• Aggravated assault with the intent to commit a felony
• Criminal mischief of $1000 or more
• Battery on specified personnel
• Intimidation threats against a law enforcement officer