MIAMI – A Miami woman was captured on video from Sky 10 Monday morning, attacking a man following a crash on the MacArthur Causeway in Miami.
The incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. on the eastbound lanes of the causeway near Biscayne Boulevard.
Sky 10 was initially above the scene just after 6 a.m. as a damaged black BMW was against the barrier wall, and a white Toyota SUV with front-end damage was nearby.
People were spotted sitting on the barrier wall with orange cones placed nearby.
According to Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Alex Camacho, the BMW was stopped on the causeway, partially blocking the right lane when the oncoming SUV crashed into it.
An arrest report stated the BMW, which authorities say was driven by 26-year-old Acklynn Mbabazi Byamugisha, was rear-ended by the Toyota. After the crash, a verbal dispute between Byamugisha and the driver of the Toyota, who police identified as Freddy Diaz, turned physical when Diaz’s father arrived at the scene.
Byamugisha was seen waving at Local 10 News cameras holding what appeared to be a pill bottle shortly before her arrest.
Byamugisha claimed Diaz’s father verbally threatened her and attacked her by pulling her hair, police said.
Moments later, authorities said Byamugisha entered Diaz’s father’s vehicle, grabbed a screwdriver along with a bottle of Windex, and sprayed it in the faces of Diaz and his father.
Police said Byamugisha charged at Diaz and his father with the screwdriver, causing the victim to fall.
Surveillance video obtained by Local 10 News showed Byamugisha on top of the victim with her hand over his neck before being pulled off by a man, who identified himself as a friend of the suspect.
SKY 10: Video shows woman attacking man on MacArthur Causeway
Byamugisha’s former co-workers told Local 10 News they could hardly believe she was involved in the incident.
Byamugisha has two healthcare master’s degrees from the University of Miami. Her schooling and career have been spent in healthcare and public service, initially with the State Health Department where she worked in AIDS and HIV prevention, and most recently with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on an IT project in Atlanta.
According to Byamugisha’s arrest report, she is facing two counts each of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Byamugisha appeared in bond court Tuesday, where Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer set her total bond at $7,000.
Glazer also ordered Byamugisha to stay away from Diaz and offered a piece of advice before ending the hearing.
“In the future, if you’re driving and you’re ever involved in a car accident, it’s probably best to just call police and remain in your vehicle so you avoid having to come to criminal court,” Glazer said.
Jail records show Byamugisha has not posted bond and remains at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Tuesday afternoon.