A North Carolina physician found himself in legal trouble after reportedly firing shots into a Jeep during a road rage episode on the highway, leaving two sisters injured. This unsettling incident unfolded on August 22, according to a report from the Virginia State Police.
The doctor in question, 61-year-old Dr. Richard Thomas Arriviello from Charlotte, North Carolina, was driving his Mercedes-Benz northbound on Interstate 77. The altercation escalated around 8:50 a.m., just three miles beyond the border separating North Carolina and Virginia.
According to a press release by state police, Arriviello allegedly discharged his firearm into the moving Jeep, hitting both sisters in their legs as they traveled along the highway.
The injured sisters were promptly airlifted to a nearby hospital. Fortunately, their injuries are not deemed to be life-threatening, authorities confirmed.
Dr. Richard Thomas Arriviello faces accusations of shooting at two sisters amid an apparent road rage incident. (New River Valley Regional Jail)
Arriviello then fled in his Mercedes-Benz, police said.
Troopers spotted and stopped the Mercedes-Benz about 15 miles away and took Arriviello into custody.
Arriviello faces several felony charges, including malicious shooting into an occupied vehicle, maliciously causing bodily harm to another with intent to maim and use of a firearm while committing a felony.
An aerial view of the skyline of downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Arriviello remains jailed without bond at the New River Valley Regional Jail, officials told News Media. He is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 29.
State police have not said what led to the alleged road rage encounter or whether investigators recovered a firearm from Arriviello’s Mercedes-Benz.
The Jeep’s driver was also cited for reckless driving, but authorities did not identify the driver.
Dr. Richard Thomas Arriviello of Charlotte, North Carolina, was driving north on Interstate 77 in his Mercedes-Benz when gunfire erupted, police said. (Stock Photos/New River Valley Regional Jail)
North Carolina Medical Board records show Arriviello has been licensed as an emergency medicine physician in the state since 2010 and has no public disciplinary actions listed against him.
The records list Arriviello as the owner of Family Urgent Care in Monroe.
News Media reached out to Family Urgent Care in Monroe and Virginia State Police for additional comment.