Man charged with felony, accused of breaking pedestrian’s jaw in alleged road rage assault

IDAHO FALLS — A local man is facing a felony charge for allegedly punching another man and breaking his jaw, in what police are calling a road rage incident.

Daniel Craig Powell, 41, was charged Wednesday with felony aggravated battery. The alleged crime happened on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at the intersection of South 5th West and Sunnyside Road in Idaho Falls.

Police responded to the intersection shortly after 8:30 p.m. when a man reported that he had been assaulted after nearly being hit by a vehicle, according to a police booking affidavit.

Police say the man was trying to cross South 5th West in the crosswalk of the intersection when a vehicle came through, heading south from Sunnyside Road. The man told police the car nearly missed him, and he reacted by punching the rear window of the vehicle.

The affidavit says the driver, later identified as Powell, then reversed the vehicle onto the sidewalk, got out and “punched (the pedestrian) on the right side of his face.”

The injured man appeared to “be having some trouble speaking and said his jaw felt like it was misaligned,” the affidavit says. When EMS arrived to check on him, it was confirmed that the man’s jaw was broken.

Those who saw the fight gave officers a license plate number for the vehicle involved. Police connected the vehicle to Powell’s address, according to the affidavit.

Officers went to Powell’s house and spoke with his wife, who “said her husband had told her about the incident,” the affidavit says. When Powell returned home, he also spoke with officers and allegedly “admitted to having hit (the pedestrian).”

Powell was arrested that night and booked into the Bonneville County Jail for investigation of felony aggravated battery. He was officially charged with the crime the following day.

If found guilty, Powell faces up to 15 years in prison. He is scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge Wiley Dennert at 1 p.m. on Jan. 20.

Though Powell has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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