A man accused of killing another driver in a possible road rage incident and then leading police on a chase through Allentown was arrested Wednesday, according to investigators.
Curtis Thomas, 36, is charged with criminal homicide, certain persons not to possess a weapon, possession with intent to sell a controlled substance and attempting to elude police.
A witness told NBC10 that a man, identified by police as Thomas, was involved in an argument with another driver on the 800 block of Wyoming Street in Allentown shortly before noon Wednesday. The witness claimed the two men were standing near a pickup truck and car that appeared to have been involved in an accident.
"He looked to see if he had damage on his car then he came around and he put his hands up in the air," said the witness, who did not want to be identified. "Then the other man went and got a shotgun. One shot, shot him in the middle of the street."
Thomas grabbed a shotgun from the pickup truck and opened fire, striking the other man, according to the witness. He then fled the scene in his pickup truck, the witness said. The 32-year-old victim, identified by Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim as Charles Hughes III, later died from his injuries.
After a witness described the vehicle, police tracked Thomas down to 6th and Walnut streets in Allentown later in the day, according to investigators. As police attempted to pull him over, Thomas allegedly fled the scene before crashing at 5th and Turner streets where he was arrested and taken into custody.
While witnesses have told police they believe the shooting was a result of road rage, officials have not officially confirmed this. They continued to investigate Thursday.
