MURRAY, Utah, July 27, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A man was arrested Friday afternoon after an alleged road rage incident in which a car passenger reportedly pointed a gun at a motorcyclist.
A Utah Highway Patrol trooper assigned to the Salt Lake City area was dispatched just before 4 p.m. “to a call for a road rage with the brandishing of a weapon,” says an affidavit filed in the arrest of 38-year-old Richard Jacob Verkaaik.
“I arrived on scene with the victim who had been driving a motorcycle,” the statement says. “The victim informed me that there had been a green Kia Soul that had two occupants. The driver was a female with black hair and the passenger was a white male in his 30s with a black hat.
“The victim stated that the other vehicle had been brake-checking him, tailgating him, and crossing lanes of traffic recklessly. The victim stated that the male passenger in the car had pointed a gun at him, which he thought to be a Glock. The victim called 911 and had come to a stop on the shoulder of the I-215 South eastbound Redwood Road off-ramp.”
The victim told the trooper the Kia had continued north, and pulled into the next parking lot, the affidavit says.
“Another trooper went to look for the vehicle and found the vehicle traveling southbound on Redwood Road near 6100 South. The passenger was taken into custody. A black 9mm Glock 26 was located in the glove box of the Kia.
“The victim explained that he felt threatened and like his life was flashing before his eyes.”
After being read his Miranda Rights, Verkaaik declined to answer questions without an attorney present. He was arrested for investigation of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony. The Salt Lake County Attorney’s Office will determine the charges, if any.
Verkaaik was ordered held without bail in the Salt Lake County jail system.
