Road rage appeared to get the better of two men in Sweetwater Friday afternoon.
Sweetwater Police Officer Suzanne Ward reported the fight happened around 3:30 p.m. at the Christianburg Connector Road. Eddie Houser told Ward he was riding in the back of a pick up truck when a man in a gray SUV stopped, got out of his vehicle and started yelling at Houser and Joe Dunkin, the driver of the truck.

Houser said Dunkin got out of the truck and started arguing with the SUV driver, but then both men got back in their vehicles.
Houser said Dunkin's truck wouldn't start and he steered it onto the shoulder of Highway 68. Houser said the driver of the SUV, later identified as James S. Allmon, and the two men began fighting. Houser said Dunkin spit in Allmon's face at some point, but he didn't know who threw the first punch.
Another man, Richard Sinclair, drove up and helped break up the fight.

Allmon reported he was waiting to turn onto Christianburg from Highway 68 when he saw a truck about to pass him and stopped to avoid a crash. He said the driver of the truck (Dunkin) began cursing him and Allmon got out to see what the "other driver's problem was."
Allmon said both men in the truck began cursing him and when he saw Houser pick up a board, he got back into his vehicle.

Allmon said when he saw Dunkin's truck pull over to the side of the road, he stopped and asked if he was having trouble. Allmon said Dunkin spit in his face and cursed him. Allmon said he got out of his SUV, was hit in the head by Dunkin, and the two men began to fight.

After the fight was broken up, Dunkin got back in his truck and left Allmon and Houser there.
Dunkin returned to the scene and told the officer he had been traveling south on Highway 68 when he tried to pass a Kia Sportage, but when he did, the Kia's driver slammed on his brakes, turned on his blinker and tried to turn left in front of him.

Dunkin said the driver (Allmon) stopped his car, came back to Dunkin's truck and sucker punched him. He said they had words with each other and both said they were calling the police. Dunkin said he left the scene because he had his infant daughter in the truck with him.

Both men told the officer the other had started the fight. Because both men   had injuries and there was no clear idea as to who the initial aggressor was, Ward didn't make an arrest, but told both men they were free to seek out warrants on each other.

michael.thomason@advocateanddemocrat.com | 442-4575