Driver beats pedestrian after altercation

A man in downtown Birmingham suffered minor injuries on Thursday, April 22, after being beaten by a motorist who had nearly struck him while crossing Woodward near Maple, police said.

Birmingham police, responding about noon to a fight just north of the Speedway gas station, arrived to speak to the victim. The man told officers he had just been assaulted by a motorist who had left the area.

The victim, a 56-year-old resident of the city, told police he had just left Lady Jane’s Haircuts, 34915 Woodward, and was crossing Woodward when he stopped in the median for traffic. He said one car approached in the left lane, stopped and waved him through. The man said he paused and the driver continued to wave him through the crosswalk. As he started walking, a second car pulled out of the Speedway gas station and halted behind the stopped vehicle.

The victim said the second vehicle – a small, gray SUV – then honked at the stopped vehicle, pulled around and nearly hit the man while crossing the street. The pedestrian then threw his coffee at the SUV’s grill and continued walking across the street.

The victim told officers the SUV then pulled into a private drive at the AAA building, 34802 Woodward Avenue, at which point the driver got out, yelled at the man and struck him in the face. The victim fell to the ground to take cover. The man then yelled additional threats and began walking to his vehicle.

A witness pulled into the drive and attempted to take pictures and call police, at which point the man began yelling at the witness, and then took off.

The man was described as a white male, 45 to 50 years old, about 5-feet, 10-inches tall with salt and pepper hair and a beard.

Birmingham police report the incident is under investigation.