Traffic

Woman — armed with screwdriver — attacked 2 men after Miami highway crash, video shows

A crash on the MacArthur Causeway escalated when a woman with a screwdriver tried to attack a man, according to video posted on social media.
A crash on the MacArthur Causeway escalated when a woman with a screwdriver tried to attack a man, according to video posted on social media. Total Traffic & Weather Network

A woman, enraged after someone rammed into her car on the MacArthur Causeway, grabbed a screwdriver and a bottle of Windex — then attacked two men with it, police say.

Acklynn Mbabazi Byamugisha was identified as one of the motorists involved in the recorded kerfuffle, which has since been widely shared all over social media. The 26-year-old is facing aggravated battery and aggravated assault charges, jail records show.

The crash happened just before 6 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of the causeway, near U.S. 1, when a white Toyota SUV slammed into a black BMW driven by Byamugisha, according to Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami. The BMW had stopped and partially blocked the right eastbound lane.

Footage showed two heavily damaged cars — a black BMW and a white Toyota SUV — and traffic backed up to the entrance of I-95.

Moments after the crash, Byamugisha hopped out of the BMW and tried to ambush Freddy Diaz, the driver of the Toyota, with a screwdriver, according to CBS News Miami. Diaz’s father intervened but the tussle continued, with Byamugisha having to be pulled off the man.

Byamugisha, reports indicate, obtained the screwdriver and bottle of Windex from the Toyota. She told Florida Highway Patrol troopers that Diaz’s father was “very threatening and physically grabbed her and pulled her hair.”

She’s being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Her bond has yet to be set.

An earlier version of the story incorrectly stated Miami-Dade Police were assisting Florida Highway Patrol troopers. City of Miami police assisted.

This story was originally published May 20, 2024 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Woman — armed with screwdriver — attacked 2 men after Miami highway crash, video shows."

Michael Butler
Miami Herald
Michael Butler writes about minority business and trends that affect marginalized professionals in South Florida. As a business reporter for the Miami Herald, he tells inclusive stories that reflect South Florida’s diversity. Just like Miami’s diverse population, Butler, a Temple University graduate, has both local roots and a Panamanian heritage.
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