State Police have arrested a Rochester man following an investigation into a physical altercation in Wayne County that occurred in February.
Joseph Blair III, 32, was arrested at his residence and charged with Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony. The charges stem from an incident on February 7 on State Route 21 in Marion.
According to investigators, a 67-year-old man and his wife were traveling southbound when they encountered a delivery van stopped in the roadway facing north. The man reportedly pulled alongside the van to advise the driver that the vehicle’s position could cause an accident. Police say the driver, later identified as Blair, struck the man’s car window with his hand.
When the victim exited his vehicle, a physical altercation allegedly took place on the shoulder of the road. Blair is accused of pushing the man to the ground and striking him multiple times before fleeing the scene in the delivery van. The victim’s wife captured video of the encounter.
While the victim initially declined medical attention, he later sought treatment and was diagnosed with a fractured ankle sustained during the fight. State Police identified Blair as the driver with assistance from the employer associated with the van.
Blair was processed at the State Police barracks in Williamson and transported to the Wayne County Jail to await arraignment.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
