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Suspect In Road Rage Death Topped 90 MPH, Report Says

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By LISA A. DAVIS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 12, 2007

HUDSON - In the seconds before Brian D. Haag crashed his 2003 Chevrolet Silverado on Oct. 3, he was driving 96 miles per hour, according to a Florida Highway Patrol analysis of the pickup's computer.

And in the last second before he collided with a 2002 Dodge Ram, his truck's speed was 88 mph, the highway patrol said.

The crash killed the driver of the Ram, injured his 13-year-old son and paralyzed Haag's passenger.

Haag, 27, of 9951 Loy St., New Port Richey, turned himself in Monday at the highway patrol's Land O' Lakes station to face two counts of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and one count of vehicular homicide.

The fatal collision was the result of road rage that began when Haag started tailgating the slower truck driven by Kenneth Sapp, 39, as they headed north on Hicks Road, troopers said.

Trying to get the Silverado to back off, Sapp tapped his brakes. In response, Haag raced around the Dodge and then tapped on his brakes, a highway patrol report states.

When Sapp turned on Kitten Trail, where the speed limit is 40 mph, Haag cut across the dirt shoulder to get in front of the Dodge and forced it off the road, the report says.

Someone jumped out of the Chevy, but it's not clear whether it was Haag or passenger David Smith, according to the report. Sapp drove around Haag's truck and took off eastbound down Kitten Trail. Haag gave chase, overtaking several vehicles, troopers said.

Finally catching up to Sapp, Haag tried to pass and Sapp moved partially into the westbound lane, a report states. The pickups sideswiped each other and overturned. Haag fled, troopers said.

Sapp, of Spring Hill, was ejected and killed. His son, Kory, 13, broke a leg. Smith was thrown from Haag's pickup and broke his neck.

Smith's brother, Martin, was following Haag's truck and, seeing what had happened, stopped and stayed at the scene to help his brother.

Martin Smith's passenger, Anthony Haugh, told deputies he drove Smith's vehicle back to Smith's residence on Catalona Avenue in New Port Richey. There, he saw Haag jump out of the bed of Martin Smith's truck and walk away, an affidavit states. Until that moment, Haugh told troopers, he did not know Haag was hiding in Smith's pickup.

A day later, Haag turned himself in and was charged with three felony counts of leaving the scene of an accident with injuries or death. He was released from jail Nov. 12 on $20,000 bail.

Further investigation by troopers led to the harsher charges this week, the highway patrol said. A search warrant executed two weeks after the crash allowed troopers to confiscate an "event data recorder" installed in all Silverado pickups. The devices record braking, throttle speeds and airbag deployment in the seconds before and after a crash, an affidavit states.

Haag was being held at Land O' Lakes Jail on Tuesday with bail set at $70,000.

Reporter Lisa A. Davis can be reached at (727) 815-1083 or ldavis@tampatrib.com.

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