Road rage pits son against mom
By Elizabeth Billips lizbillips@yahoo.com

A Hephzibah man was arrested for forcing his mother's vehicle off the road in a fit of rage.

Jody Lee Eacho, 30, was jailed last Tuesday on charges of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident with injury, aggressive driving and obstructing or hindering a law enforcement officer.

According to Burke County deputy Bill Henshall, Eacho's mother was pulling a trailer-load of azaleas on Farmers Bridge Road last Monday when he drove up behind her and tried to stop her.

"When she refused to stop, he pulled alongside her and tapped the front of her vehicle, sending her off the roadway," Deputy Henshall said, noting that the assault was precipitated by an argument between his mother and wife.

The victim struck a culvert, then launched across a driveway with the trailer wrapped around her rear bumper. Deputies say she did not suffer any serious injuries.

Eacho, who was also pulling a trailer, drove about a mile and half further while his load fishtailed across the roadway. Finally, he lost control and rolled his vehicle twice. Eacho fled into the woods but was later arrested and held on a $21,300 bond.