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A 20-year-old Stamford man was merging onto the Merritt Parkway's southbound lanes June 30 in the area of Norwalk in his BMW M3 when his way was blocked by a Ford F-350 pickup truck driven by John Scuderi, Stamford police Sgt. Kelly Connelly said.
Because he couldn't merge, the 20-year-old man went ahead of the Ford and merged on to the parkway, cutting off the pickup as he did so, Connelly said.
This apparently enraged Scuderi, she said.
"Several times the red Ford attempted to drive the BMW off the parkway," Connelly said. At one point, the BMW went up on the grass section beside the parkway to avoid the pickup, Connelly said.
Scuderi was yelling, honking his horn and driving aggressively, Connelly said. The BMW driver exited the parkway at Exit 35 at High Ridge Road and pulled into a commuter lot.
Scuderi pulled in behind him, jumped out of his vehicle and opened the BMW's door to confront the driver, police said. The 21-year-old passenger jumped out to get in between his cousin, who was driving the BMW, and Scuderi, police said.
Scuderi was verbally aggressive, Connelly said. "He said he was going to beat the both of them up," she said.
As this was going on, his daughter, Heather Scuderi, a passenger in the truck, grabbed a C-clamp from the pickup and used it to strike one of the two cousins in the head, Connelly said. She then threw it at the BMW, causing a large dent, Connelly said.
Both father and daughter then drove away, Connelly said, and the BMW's passenger called police.
When interviewed by officers, John and Heather Scuderi accused the two other men of being the aggressors and denied using the C-clamp to hit one man and vehicle, police said.
However, an eyewitness who has changing a tire in the commuter lot saw the incident and her observations supported the complainants' version, Stamford Police said.
John Scuderi, 51, of 182 Dogwood Court, Stamford was charged Tuesday with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace. His bond was set at $7,500.
Heather Scuderi, 19, of 75 Gregory St., Norwalk, was charged with second-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace. Her bond was set at $2,500.
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