A road rage incident in Florida last October between two fathers, 36-year-old William Hale from Douglas, Georgia, and 44-year-old Frank Allison from Callahan, Florida, ended with both their daughters being shot. While Allison is protected under Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law, Hale is facing attempted murder charges.
On October 8, both families were driving home after spending time in Jacksonville, Florida. According to police records, both men agreed that their altercation was fueled by road rage, involving aggressive driving and rude gestures.
Although their accounts of the confrontation differed, witnesses confirmed that Hale had escalated the situation by attempting to run Allison off the road and throwing a water bottle into his driver’s side window.
In response, Allison grabbed his gun and fired at Hale’s vehicle, accidentally hitting Hale’s five-year-old daughter in the lower leg. Hearing his daughter scream, Hale retrieved his own gun from the center console and fired multiple rounds at Allison’s car. One of the bullets struck Allison’s 14-year-old daughter in the back.
Both girls were later treated at local hospitals and survived their injuries. Initially, police arrested both men on attempted murder charges, claiming their actions demonstrated a “depraved mind without regard for human life.”
However, on March 30, only Hale faced charges from the Nassau County State’s Attorney’s Office. He was charged with second-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault, and maliciously throwing a deadly missile. The last charge relates to Hale allegedly throwing the water bottle into Allison’s car.
In a disposition statement written on March 31, Assistant State Attorney Christopher Roth Huband explained that the water bottle incident, combined with Hale’s aggressive driving, justified Allison’s use of deadly force under Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law.
It remains unclear whether Hale has obtained legal representation in this case.