CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) - The attorney for a man involved in a deadly road rage incident in Coral Springs released video recorded by his client, Wednesday, showing part of what led to the death of the other man involved.
The segment of the video released shows the man who died, Paul Peterman, get out of his car at an intersection and rush to the window of Joshua Tullis’s car, who was recording with his iPhone. Peterman is seen reaching into the car’s open passenger-side window, before Tullis drives off.
Peterman was later found in the road, then airlifted to a hospital, where he died.
Tullis, a 37-year-old Broward Sheriff’s Office firefighter, was headed home from work early Thursday morning when, according to his lawyer, he spotted a driver who he thought was driving aggressively. That driver was later identified as Peterman.
“Cutting off other motor vehicles, driving in erratic fashion, so he turned on his iPhone, his camera, to preserve it,” Eric Schwartzreich said.
Peterman’s mother said that her son was on his way to work when the incident occurred.
Peterman eventually pulled over at the intersection of West Atlantic and Riverside Drive.
“My client stops, he rolls down his window… to film it, then all of a sudden, unprovoked legally, Mr. Peterman gets out of his car and jumps and dives into my client’s car,” Schwartzreich said.
Tullis quickly drove away, unaware that Peterman was injured, according to his lawyer.
Peterman’s family said he may not have understood the situation due to a hearing impairment. “He was a great kid,” his mother Bernadette Peterman told 7News shortly after her son died. “He loved everybody. He was deaf, and he made a name for himself in the world. He was an Eagle Scout. This is just senseless. He was an amazing son.”
Peterman’s family has now hired an attorney, who says the video released by Tullis doesn’t tell the whole story.
“To not know why or what happened is exceedingly difficult for the family,” Marc Wites, the Peterman’s attorney, said.
Wites said the video is longer than what’s been released, and that is true.
“It’s really unfortunate, sad and it’s tragic,” Schwartzreich said. “No one wanted Mr. Peterman to die. My client didn’t even know he was on the side of the road or what happened to him.”
Police said their investigation is ongoing.
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