One of the two men who shot each other’s daughters in a traffic accident has had his charges dropped after prosecutors determined he acted in self-defense.
Frank Allison, 44, opened fire on 36-year-old William Hale after the two began swerving on a Florida highway last year and checking their brakes. He shot at Hale’s car after the 36-year-old threw a bottle of water into his car during the fight.
But authorities decided his first shot was justified under Florida’s “stand your ground” self-defense law, and determined that Hale was guilty of the ensuing mayhem.
Alisson fired a single shot into Hale’s car after the bottle was thrown, hitting Hale’s 5-year-old daughter in the leg. Hale responded by unloading his Glock semi-automatic pistol on Alisson’s vehicle, hitting his 14-year-old daughter in the back, causing her to collapse her lung.
Both men were initially charged with attempted murder after the incident, until Alisson’s charges were dropped earlier this month. Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said at the time of the shooting, “There could have been two dead kids because of two stupid grown men.”
William Hale, 35, of Douglas, Georgia (left) and Frank Allison, 43, of Callahan, Florida (right) shot each other’s daughters in a traffic accident
Prosecutors allege the freeway shooting broke out after Hale attempted to run Allison off roaming on Highway 1 near Callahan, Florida.
At one point during the skirmish, Hale pulled his Dodge Ram pickup truck next to Allison’s Nissan Murano, rolled down his window, and yelled at the driver as his wife gestured out the window.
Allison rolled down his window and yelled back in turn, before a bottle of water was thrown into Hale’s truck, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.
Both men accused the other of aggressive and erratic driving and “checking the brakes” of the other. A witness also claimed that Hale was the aggressor, claiming he was trying to run his rival off the road.
The witness, who prosecutors said was “the only independent witness in the case” after the two men’s accounts diverged, told police he had seen a “cat and mouse” racing game between the two motorists.
Although he did not witness the shooting, he said he felt compelled to call 911 before the shooting because “he knew something bad was about to happen,” police said. Fox news.
Allison responded to the alleged provocation by firing a single shot at Hale’s vehicle, which struck his 5-year-old daughter in the upper calf.
The shooting prompted Hale to return fire and empty his gun’s magazine onto Allison’s car. Both men had concealed carry permits and no criminal records.
Frank Allison, pictured right, has his attempted murder charges dropped after he shot another motorist’s daughter in a traffic accident
William Hale, pictured left, is due to appear in court on April 20. He faces several criminal charges, including three counts of attempted murder for the shooting
A chilling 911 call was made after the mother of one of the children who was shot cried desperately for help.
“My daughter has been shot – please help me,” she says, as her daughter can be heard crying in the vehicle.
“I don’t want to die,” she said News4Jax.
Both drivers continued north, with their injured daughters in the back.
But the pair were eventually stopped by a patrolling Nassau County Sheriff’s Office car, before getting into a fight and argument with each other on the side of the road.
Bodycam footage shows first responders rushing to help their daughters as the two men are separated, telling different versions of the incident.
The pair were initially jailed on attempted murder charges, but Allison has since seen the charges against him dropped.
In a statement released after the charges were dropped, the prosecutor said: “William Hale’s aggressive driving and water bottle throwing put the Allisons in fear of imminent death or major bodily harm and constitute the commission of violent crimes.”
William Hale’s actions – both independently and collectively – warrant Frank Allison’s use of deadly force against William Hale. As such, the state refuses to press charges against Frank Allison and elects to press charges against William Hale.”
Hale is due to appear in court on April 20. He is charged with three counts of attempted murder for the shooting, three counts of aggravated assault and one count of ‘shooting or throwing lethal missiles’ for launching the water bottle.