'I should have hit her harder': Elderly man charged in road rage incident

BY Brandi Kruse  on January 29, 2013 @ 4:58 pm (Updated: 5:24 pm - 1/29/13 )

An elderly man has been charged in a violent road rage attack on a woman in Tacoma.

William Zesbaugh, 71, is being held on $10,000 bail for second-degree assault and malicious harassment. According to prosecutors, Zesbaugh became upset when a female driver cut him off in traffic around noon on Monday.

"He pulled behind the victim's vehicle, following closely and honking his horn," the Pierce County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. "The victim stopped at a sign and the defendant's car collided into the back of her vehicle."

When the victim approached Zesbaugh's vehicle to ask for his insurance information, prosecutors say he retrieved a club-like steering wheel lock from his trunk and struck her twice in the arm as she tried to block the assault.

"The defendant told the victim and her passenger, 'I can tell you're lesbians. I should beat the crap out of you,'" according to prosecutors. "He then fled the scene, stating, 'I'm gonna get you for this' as he passed the victim's vehicle."

Police apprehended Zesbaugh a short distance away, where he allegedly told officers, "I should have hit her a lot harder if I'm going to get in trouble for it."

The victim was treated at a nearby hospital for several deep lacerations to her forearm.

Brandi Kruse, KIRO Radio Reporter
Brandi Kruse is a reporter for KIRO Radio who is as spontaneous and adventurous in her free time as she is on the job. Brandi arrived at KIRO Radio in March 2011 and has already collected three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her reporting.
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Comments (41)


  • Add A Comment

  • Forrest wrote...
    Maybe he feels...
    January 30, 2013 6:21 am
    All women hear better with one ear on the floor.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    @ Forrest
    January 30, 2013 2:35 pm
    That was not very pc of you.

    And that is why I laughed... -0

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    What PO"s some of these drivers?
    January 30, 2013 6:23 am
    Driving the speed limit is one good reason!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Lonestar wrote...
    I have a solution
    January 30, 2013 7:50 am
    Soylent Green.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    But, but....
    January 30, 2013 7:58 am
    Soylent Green is people!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Lonestar wrote...
    Soylent Green is old people
    January 30, 2013 12:26 pm
    Requiring all geezers to show up at the Soylent Green factory would solve many problems such as social security, medicare, and belligerent curmudgeons.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • GoldFish wrote...
    We all know
    January 30, 2013 8:54 am
    that women make terrible drivers. She cut him off and I'm guessing that she stopped short at the light also.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HockeyMom wrote...
    Amazing
    January 30, 2013 10:06 am
    All these dumb posts that think this is funny and all the "she deserved it" and such is so ridiculous. To beat someone with a club because they are gay is a hate crime. Sure, he can say it's because she cut him off in traffic. However, that's not what he was yelling about when hitting her. He was yelling about her being a lesbian. Btw, I know all you men who post about bad women drivers never ever drive poorly, tailgate, run lights, etc. Good on you!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    Maplecarp
    January 30, 2013 10:46 am
    That's all you can think of to say? Pretty immature coming from a wealthy influential person you say you are. What would all your children in college say about "Dad" posting on this site and calling people names? Loser?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • vern ivan wrote...
    Amazing:
    January 30, 2013 11:14 am
    I have to wonder what kind of mind can lend political bent to almost every incident that occurs. Democrat or Republican matters not. They are all the same. When a life time of surpressed frustration and anger cannot be restructerd it will come to a head one day. The driver who cut this old man off in fast traffic probably thinks it is how to navigate city congestion, afterall it happpens all the time,every day not caring who they may offend. The 71 year old obviously had a belly full,constipated with pent up frustration. A volcano, if you will, that can no longer contain the boiling magma under it. And it is obvious that neither driver can remember that part of the drivers manual which address passing and following. Life in the city such as it has been shaped by the inhabitants. Good thing she was not critically injured bad thing is that seemingly rational humans have forgotten common curtesy in all dealings.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Young short males, females
    January 30, 2013 11:25 am
    Seem to have the biggest ego's when they are tailgating and flashing brights and flipping the bird. I just set my cruse control at the posted speed and waive and smile at them.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    @ It's me! Ha ha!
    January 30, 2013 2:39 pm
    As long as you are not in the passing lane, you should have no problems driving like that...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    Meh... Road Rage is well documented...
    January 30, 2013 1:04 pm
    Just because it happened to be an old man doesn't change anything... young men young women, old women etc. rich, poor, black, white, hispanic, asian, doesn't matter... road rage is something that every color gender and creed participate in... the old man blew a gasket because this lady cut him off in traffic... then he used a slurr when talking to her... so what... it happens... he broke the law and he'll pay for it... move along everybody... it happens every day.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • dori monson fan wrote...
    is there any evidence of the malicious harassment
    January 30, 2013 1:53 pm
    or is it just she said and she said he said?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }