Gainesville man arrested for hitting woman with car

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Andrew Maynard McLaughlin, 53, was arrested yesterday and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after allegedly hitting a woman with his car.

The victim told a Gainesville Police Department officer that she was in the left turn lane in the 3500 block of SW 34th Street at about 7:15 p.m. when another car cut her off. She said she swerved to the next lane to the left to avoid colliding with the other car.

The victim said she drove to the passenger side of the other car and started yelling at the other driver, later identified as McLaughlin, for cutting her off. She said McLaughlin said he would kill her, and then he got out of his car and approached her car, where the two of them continued to argue. She said he tried to spit on her but missed, and she tried to spit back. She said McLaughlin returned to his vehicle, and when she walked toward the front of his vehicle, he hit her with the front of his vehicle and kept driving.

The victim said she fell to the ground and hit her head, then followed McLaughlin to a nearby parking lot, where she said McLaughlin started yelling at her. She reportedly pushed him, and a witness who had reportedly seen the entire interaction intervened and separated them.

Post Miranda, McLaughlin said he would remain silent.

McLaughlin has no criminal history except for an unspecified out-of-county incident in 2002. Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $5,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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