Couple arrested following crash on U.S. 1

A woman is facing an attempted murder charge and her husband faces a charge of battery following a road rage incident early Saturday that Sheriff Rick Ramsay said could have been easily avoided.

“This was an unfortunate crash that should have been resolved peacefully,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “Instead, we have people in jail facing serious legal charges. It’s a valuable reminder to always let law enforcement address disputes.”

A Miami couple was in a Ford pickup truck that was involved in a crash with a Chevrolet pickup truck near Mile Marker 26 at approximately 12:25 a.m. Both vehicles pulled over.

The driver of the Ford, 59-year-old Mario Barbado Pichardo, instigated a physical fight with the driver of the Chevrolet pickup truck — a 38-year-old male from Marathon. Pichardo’s wife, 54-year-old Damarys Pichardo, retrieved a .380-caliber handgun and called 911.

Sheriff’s Office 911 Communications Specialists heard Damarys Pichardo threaten to kill the male victim. The victim reported hearing the handgun click/trigger pulled multiple times, but the weapon never fired. Sheriff’s Office 911 Communications Specialists also heard Damarys Pichardo ask why the gun was not loaded/firing.

It was later learned the handgun had a loaded magazine, however, a round was not chambered at the time of the incident. There were no life-threatening injuries reported. Mario Pichardo and Damarys Pichardo were both taken to jail.

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]