By SALINA POST
Saline County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a road rage incident on Saturday afternoon after a suspect reportedly brandished a gun and allegedly shot at a Concordia couple.
According to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan, at approximately 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21 a couple from Concordia merged onto I-135 northbound at the Schilling Road exit when a black pickup truck, driven by 34-year-old Nicholas Osbourn of Solomon, began tailgating them.
"Osbourn went to pass the couple in the vehicle. They didn't realize he was. They both came up to ramp together," Soldan said. "Osbourn attempted to pass, immediately after leaving the ramp but there was another vehicle in the lane. So they [Concordia couple] switched lanes, and Osbourne thought they cut him off.
Osbourn began following the couple closely. He then passed their vehicle, brandished a .22 caliber revolver, and discharged the firearm multiple times out of the back window of his truck, according to a statement from the couple.
According to Soldan no bullets made contact with the victims' vehicle.
The couple, fearing for their safety, pulled over at Milepost 95. Osbourn also stopped, got out of his truck, and began walking toward the couple. In response, the couple put their vehicle in reverse, against the flow of I-135 traffic, to avoid confrontation.
At this point, another couple driving along the interstate noticed and stopped to assist.
"Osbourn told the second couple that he had 'shot at some people' but wasn’t sure if he had hit them," Soldan said.
Sheriff's Deputies including officers from the Salina Police Department, quickly arrived on the scene. Osbourn, who had returned to his truck, was arrested without further incident. He faces charges of two counts of aggravated assault, criminal discharge of a firearm on a public roadway, reckless driving, and unlawfully being a pedestrian on the interstate.