An Orwigsburg man is facing an attempted homicide and related charges in connection with a road rage incident on Route 61 in November.
According to a criminal complaint filed by State Police-Schuylkill Haven, the incident happened back on Nov. 19 on Route 61 at its intersection with Muncipal Rd. in West Brunswick Township.
Police were dispatched to that area after the victim of the alleged incident said his vehicle was shot during an altercation by a man later identified as Eric Kohl, 29, of Orwigsburg. At the scene, police say the saw two bullet holes in the front passenger tire of the victim’s vehicle. Police also found three shell casings on Route 61 during the course of their initial investigation.
At that time, police sent out a BOLO (Be-on-the-lookout) alert via Schuylkill County 9-1-1 to all local police departments for a black or blue Chevrolet pickup truck. Orwigsburg Police spotted the vehicle in question at 135 Long Ave. in Orwigsburg. State Police arrived at that address and took a male, Kohl, into custody.
Police say they seized a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun that was allegedly used in the road rage altercation during a sweep of Kohl’s residence. When police searched Kohl’s pickup, they say a fourth shell casing was found below the driver’s seat on the floor mat.
Police say they interviewed the victim of the alleged road rage incident, identified as Blake Kurten, back at their barracks. Kurten reportedly told police that he was driving north in the left lane on Route 61, just north of Summer Valley Road in West Brunswick Township, when a Chevrolet pickup passed him and then swerved into the left lane and slammed on the brakes. This caused Kurten to nearly come to a complete stop, he told police.
Both Kohl and Kurten continued north on Route 61 and Kurten says Kohl brake-checked him several more times. When they got to the red light at the highway’s intersection with Municipal Rd., Kurten told police that he yelled at Kohl. Kohl then reportedly got out of his vehicle and a verbal argument ensued. Kurten says he then pulled his vehicle to the median, to the left of Kohl’s truck, got out and the two continued yelling at each other.
Kurten told police he was standing by his driver’s side headlights and Kohl was about 3 feet from the passenger-side headlights of his vehicle. Suddenly, Kurten said, Kohl reached toward his hip. Kurten said he ducked behind the door of his vehicle and heard multiple gun shots fired at him. He said Kohl then got back in his vehicle and fled the scene.
Police say Kohl, during their interview with him, admitted to getting involved in a road rage incident earlier that day in which he fired multiple shots in the direction of Kurten. They also say two witnesses confirmed that Kurth was standing by his driver’s side tire when Kohl fired the shots in Kurten’s direction and that Kurten did not advance toward Kohl prior to the shots being fired.
Kohl was arraigned Tuesday before District Magistrate Judge AJ Serina, who set unsecured bail at $500,000. A preliminary hearing has initially been scheduled for Feb. 4, 2025 in Serina’s court where Kohl will have to answer to charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, assault, reckless endangerment, and disorderly conduct.
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