A Leesburg man was arrested after using a leaf blower to hit a driver who accidentally collided with his vehicle.
Deputies responded to 165 Hibiscus Drive in Leesburg regarding a vehicle collision where one of the parties was struck with a leaf blower around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Upon the deputies’ arrival, the male victim stated he was driving and trying to operate his GPS when his work truck struck a trailer attached to another truck, forcing it to collide with another vehicle. Patrick Thomas Eittson, 60, then ran out of the residence where his vehicle was parked. He had a leaf blower in his hand, the report said.
Eittson was irate and struck the hood of the work truck with the leaf blower. The victim opened the door to the truck as Eittson walked from the front to the driver’s side door. He told Eittson to calm down. Ettison responded by striking the victim with the leaf blower, the report said.
A female witness advised that she saw Eittson step onto the work truck’s step while the victim was inside and began striking him in the face, at which time she told Eittson to back away. He then separated from the victim to wait for law enforcement, the report said.
Eittson denied striking the victim with the leaf blower, but admitted to hitting the hood of the work truck with it, the report said.
The Massachusetts native was subsequently arrested on charges of burglary with battery and criminal mischief. He was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $26,000 bond.
