Libby man takes Alford plea in road rage incident

A Libby man accused of assault with a weapon after an alleged road rage incident on U.S. 2 earlier this year recently pleaded guilty.

Ashley R. Swartzenberger was in Lincoln County District Court on Nov. 4 where he entered an Alford plea.

It means the defendant pleads guilty but maintains their innocence. The defendant accepts the sentence that would come with a guilty verdict, but avoids a full trial. 

Swartzenberger’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 6.

According to a report by county sheriff’s deputy James Derryberry, the defendant used a 2008 GMC Sierra pickup truck at 8:51 p.m. June 20 to repeatedly ram another driver’s vehicle.

According to the alleged victim, Swartzenberger pulled on to U.S. 2 near Mountain Meadow Road and cut him off. The man said he had to brake hard to avoid Swartzenberger’s truck and stopped in the west bound lane. The accused also stopped several feet in front of the man’s vehicle before putting it into reverse, floored the accelerator and rammed into the alleged victim’s vehicle.

The man said Swartzenberger spun around and rammed his vehicle twice. When the victim said he tried to drive away, Swartzenberger allegedly rammed his vehicle again.

The man told deputy Derryberry, “it was the scariest thing he has ever experienced.” He also said he feared for his life and wasn’t armed to protect himself.

According to Derrberry, Swartzenberger allegedly said he intentionally rammed the victim’s vehicle a few times and that he didn’t know the man.

According to the charging document, Swartzenberger had a prior charge of felony aggravated assault in 2009. It was amended to a charge of misdemeanor assault and he was convicted of it in 2010.