Man is Arrested After a Dangerous Road Rage Incident in Missoula

On Saturday, 911 received multiple calls from concerned citizens who witnessed a road rage incident at the intersection of Flynn Lane and West Broadway. Callers identified a male driving a brown pickup truck and a male on a motorcycle as the parties involved in the incident. They reported the motorcyclist was the victim of an assault committed but the driver of the pickup.

Missoula Police Department officers rushed to the intersection and observed the disturbance was no longer in progress. Several vehicles, including the involved pickup and motorcycle, were parked off the roadway and waiting for officers to arrive. Police Public Information Officer Lydia Arnold explains.

“The suspect, 56-year-old Stewart Schall, felt like the victim did not take advantage of a gap to make a left hand turn,” Arnold said. “After sitting there for a few minutes, Schall eventually decided to try and make a right hand turn. According to witnesses and statements made during the preliminary police investigation, Schall intentionally drove his truck around the victim on the motorcycle and drove over the victim’s foot, causing pain to the victim.”

As the tire on the truck slowly rolled over his foot, the victim looked down and saw a large pipe wrench in the bed of the pickup which he immediately picked up and threw at the back window causing it to shatter. The victim said Schall then made a turn back toward him, drove at him, and clipped the rear of his motorcycle.

“In response, the victim used an object to break the back window of Schall’s vehicle,” Arnold said. “This led to a physical disturbance, which led to a wrench becoming involved and Schall using the wrench to hit the victim over the head. The victim was thankfully wearing a helmet, but the extent of his injuries is unknown. Schall was transported to the Missoula County Detention Center on charges relating to assault with a weapon.”

An officer observed several scuff marks on the back of the victim’s helmet and a scrape on the back of his neck that appeared fresh. The officer determined there was sufficient probable cause to arrest Schall for assault with a weapon and for criminal mischief for intentionally causing damage to the victim’s motorcycle.

An eyewitness corroborated the victim’s statement. Schall is currently being charged with two counts of felony assault with a weapon and one count of criminal mischief.