Dash cam catches man sucker-punching Texas TV meteorologist in road rage attack
By Carl Samson
July 6, 2023
A dash cam video showing a man sucker-punching a TV meteorologist in Texas is making headlines this week.
What happened: Avery Tomasco, a morning weatherman at CBS Austin, said he was driving on Mopac at Steck when a Toyota Prius suddenly came into his lane. As he failed to slow down, a fender bender took place.
“It’s a minor collision at that point,” Tomasco told CBS Austin.
The Prius’ driver reportedly kept driving until Tomasco got the person’s attention. Both Tomasco and the Prius’ driver then pulled into the shopping center at Capitol of Texas Highway and 183. After Tomasco exited his car to take photos of the damage, the Prius’ driver approached him and then struck him.
“It was a sucker punch,” Tomasco said. “He said one sentence with an obscenity in there — ‘You hit my blank car,’ and I replied, ‘No, you hit my car.’ And that’s when he swung with his entire force.”
The aftermath: Tomasco said the man missed his face but hit his shoulder. The weatherman’s daughter — whom he had allegedly picked up from daycare and was in his car — likely witnessed the attack.
Both men appeared out of the frame after the punch, so it’s unclear what happened from there. When Tomasco screamed for help, the man allegedly tried to walk away.
In a Twitter thread, Tomasco wrote that an off-duty police officer was in the area and helped de-escalate the situation. His attacker, who was still at the scene, was “so out of his mind” that he had to undergo a field sobriety test.
“He passed, but had full rage in his eyes,” Tomasco noted.
What’s next: Tomasco accused his attacker of lying about what had happened. But because his dash cam video caught everything, he said he is able to press charges.
“The dashcam gods have shined upon me today,” he said. “Everything is on camera. The fender bender, the assault, everything.”
In an update, Tomasco said a warrant has been issued against his attacker. As of this writing, it is unknown whether an arrest has been made.
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