A West Plains man is facing a third‑degree assault charge after a road‑rage confrontation ended in violence outside a local workplace, according to a probable cause statement filed August 15.
Police say the incident began as a verbal dispute between two drivers on Porter Wagoner Boulevard. The victim told officers he was headed to work when the other driver, later identified as Keith Harold Smith, became agitated and followed him to his workplace. “Smith exited his vehicle and approached the driver’s side of the victim vehicle in an aggressive manner,” the report states.
According to the affidavit, Smith reached through the victim’s open window and grabbed him by the neck, leaving faint red marks. When the victim stepped out of his vehicle, Smith allegedly shoved him to the ground, causing a minor forearm laceration. Police reviewed cellphone video recorded by the victim, which reportedly showed Smith reaching into the vehicle and later pushing the victim.
Smith later arrived at the West Plains Police Department and told officers he wanted to turn himself in. He admitted to the assault, saying the confrontation stemmed from road rage after the victim approached his vehicle “too quickly,” according to the statement.
Smith’s bond is set at $10,000.
