Neighborly disputes often take the form of passive-aggressive power displays between the warring parties. Rarely do they resort to violence with many never reaching more than heated words at the yearly neighborhood block party. Even enemies have to keep the peace. However, things are different in Florida as they often are. Austin Semmer, from Fort Myers, Florida, was hit by Anthony Swaldi’s slow-moving Chevrolet Corvette in a genuinely peculiar incidnet.
The video starts with Semmer using a leaf blower to clear the front of his property. You can see the Corvette drive into view, inching closer to Semmer who seems oblivious to the car creeping up behind him. There’s enough room for Swaldi to drive around, except he doesn’t. Instead, Swaldi continues to creep behind Semmer, eventually running into him just off camera. Semmer said in an interview with NBC 2 that about half of his lower leg ended up underneath the Corvette, which knocked him to the ground before he was able to pull himself out of the way.
After the incident, Semmer immediately called the police with officers later arresting Swaldi and towing away his Chevrolet. Police charged Swaldi with using his vehicle as a deadly weapon and causing bodily harm. Semmer says he’s lost some mobility from the accident due to an injured leg. NBC 2 attempted to get Swaldi’s side of the story, but he couldn’t be reached for comment.
It seems odd Swaldi would run into Semmer. NBC 2 did not elaborate on whether the two had had previous altercations; however, resorting to running into a fellow neighbor seems like a drastic escalation. Then again, stranger things have happened. Maybe Swaldi was trying to sleep and Semmer’s leaf blowing was the last straw in a long string of sleeplessness. Now, it’s the court’s responsibility to sort out the dispute.
Comments
I once contemplated running over a neighbor with a sheep’s foot packer. He was a real PITA who used to dump his grass clippings over the fence into my back yard.
Can’t we all just get along?
Screw with me and you’ll get a free ride through the wood chipper!
Autonomous vehicles will end all this fun 🙁
Leaf blower obsession definitely grounds for justifiable homicide by Corvette.