On Thursday, Aug. 14, a road rage incident on U.S. Highway 40 resulted in one man being arrested after threatening another driver with a pistol.

The incident occurred at about 5:40 p.m. between Granby and Red Dirt Hill. The arrest comes at a time when Grand County officials instituted a zero-tolerance policy for excessive speeding, aggressive driving and illegal passes following six recent deaths.  

A Grand County Sheriff Office’s deputy arrested Thomas Vansant, 49, shortly after receiving a call about the incident. He was transported to Grand County Jail. The victim is a 58-year-old man from Tabernash. Vansant held a driver’s license out of New Mexico.

According to a report from the sheriff’s office, Vansant was driving behind the victim and accused of speeding up to about 80-90 mph to pass the victim.

In interviews with the victim and several witnesses on the scene, a sheriff’s deputy determined Vansant then swerved in front of the victim’s vehicle, forcing him onto the shoulder.

Vansant was driving a 2016 Dodge Ram pickup and the victim was driving a 1976 Dodge flatbed truck. 

According to the sheriff’s report, Vansant and the victim exited their vehicles once they were on the shoulder. Vansant was allegedly carrying a pistol at his side. The report states the pistol was loaded. 

An altercation then ensued between the two men, with the victim allegedly approaching Vansant and stating, “What are you going to do, shoot me?”

The victim told the deputy that Vansant never directly raised the pistol toward him but kept it at his side. The victim then grabbed the pistol to prevent Vansant from pointing it at him. Vansant retaliated by grabbing the victim by the throat and pushing him against his pickup, the victim told law enforcement.

The victim “did not recall any specific threats made by Mr. Vansant but confirmed that the firearm remained in the driver’s hand throughout the encounter,” the sheriff office’s report states.

Witnesses confirmed the victim’s account, the report states. Accounts by witnesses and the victim also corroborated that Vansant had been driving recklessly on the highway prior to his altercation with the victim. According to witnesses, Vansant had passed several vehicles before he swerved to cut off the 1976 Dodge.

When the deputy spoke with Vansant to get his account, Vansant said he had passed two vehicles prior to getting behind the 1976 Dodge. According to Vansant, he swerved to avoid a collision with the victim, who he stated had tried to hit him. He added that the victim approached him aggressively and attempted to grab his weapon, which is what prompted him to grab and push the victim.

Vansant faces charges including one count of reckless driving and one count of felony menacing with a firearm, according to court documents acquired by Sky-Hi News. He is set to appear in Grand County court Sept. 9.