Driver charged in combine road rage case

The Celina Daily Standard is reporting to day that David P. Rinderle Jr., 34, 8075 Old Town Road, (Celina), has been charged with menacing in connection with an apparent case of road rage involving himself and a 70 year-old farmer driving a John Deere combine.

According to the story, Mercer County Sheriff's deputies responded to Riley Road, north of Oldtown Road, at 3:15 p.m. Oct. 10 on reports of a man drawing a loaded weapon at a motorist.

Rinderle told deputies he was forced to drive his 1998 Mercury Mountaineer into the side ditch to avoid hitting the farm vehicle. He claimed the combine's left front tire was left of center at the time.

Sheriff's office reports, as quoted by the Daily Standard, indicate the motorist reportedly turned around, passed the combine again and stopped in the roadway approximately 100 feet in front of the combine. The man got out of the vehicle leaving his wife and two children inside and began yelling at the 70-year-old farmer to get the combine over for traffic. The motorist climbed the steps to the cab and opening the door while continuing his verbal rebuke.

The newspaper story continues, reporting that the older man told deputies he felt threatened by the irate intruder, warned Rinderle he had protection and displayed a holstered 9-mm semiautomatic pistol on his lap. The motorist reportedly grabbed the gun and threw it into a nearby clover field.

Deputies determined the older man did have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The gun, along with a magazine containing eight rounds of ammunition, was located and taken into evidence.

The farmer told authorities he could only get over so far, fearing he would lose control of the combine in the event it went into the side ditch.

The case was referred to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, which returned the charge against Rinderle. The Daily Standard reports the paperwork was served over the weekend.

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