By BEN LUNDIN

Staff Reporter

ST. ROSE – When a local driver nearly caused an accident by pulling out at the wrong time, he set off a lengthy and violent chase through the River Region fueled by the other driver’s relentless road rage.

His attackers, Lyndon Tucker, 21 of 3016 Concordia Dr. in LaPlace and Romone Whitsett, 22, of 2817 Williamsburg Dr. in LaPlace, reportedly fired gunshots and tried to bump him off the road in the chase, which started on Airline Highway in St. Rose and eventually came to a close with the attackers’ arrests on US-61 in LaPlace.

No one was injured in the incident, which ended with Tucker booked with a $750,000 bond for three counts of attempted second degree murder, three counts of simple assault, two counts of possession of a stolen firearm, monetary instrument abuse and aggravated obstruction of highway. The St. Charles Sheriff’s Office arrested Whitsett with a $125,000 bond for three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of possession of a stolen firearm. Both men are being held at the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center.

The violent affair started at approximately 3 p.m. on Sunday when the victim pulled in front of Tucker’s white 2001 Grand Prix with another male passenger in his car and sent Tucker and Whitsett into a rage, according to the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office.

Tucker reportedly followed the victims for a long distance until they were overwhelmed with fear and called the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office before coming to a stop at a red light on US-61.

Tucker and Whitsett burst out of the Grand Prix and allegedly tried to rip open the victims’ locked doors with one perpetrator brandishing a .45 caliber pistol before the victims sped off.

The perpetrators rushed back to the car and continued the chase on Airline Highway towards LaPlace when one victim claims he heard the sound of a gunshot ripping through the back of his car.

St. Charles police caught up to the victim’s attackers as they drove through LaPlace, and with the assistance of the St. John Sheriff’s Office they stopped and arrested both men peacefully.

&#8220These people were not actually targeted or pinpointed. It was an incident that just got out of control,” said Sgt. Dwayne LaGrange, a spokesman for the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office.