Boca Raton Man Charged With Shining Laser at Motorist on I-95

Andrew Coletto (Photo: Palm Beach County Jail)

A Boca Raton man has been charged with intentionally shining a laser into the vehicle of another driver, allegedly to “scare him” after he passed on the right, the Florida Highway Patrol said in court documents.

Andrew Coletto, 58, was arrested near the Hypoluxo Road exit where he was pulled over by state troopers after the incident, which occurred near the Southern Boulevard interchange to the north. The incident played out in the southbound lanes of the highway Monday at about 8:20 a.m.

According to the report, the driver of a Ford F-150 pickup truck called 911 after the driver of a box truck allegedly pointed a green laser at his vehicle from behind. The Ford driver told troopers that he passed the box truck to the right, then returned to the lane in which he was originally traveling. After he was back in front of the box truck, he said, the driver shined a green-colored laser into the cabin of his vehicle, where it scattered after catching the rear-view mirror. He told troopers he “temporarily lost his sight due to the green laser,” the report stated.

The driver then called police while following the box truck driver from behind. According to the report, troopers interviewed Coletto at the scene and said he admitted to pointing the laser at the pickup truck because he wanted to “scare him because he passed him on the right shoulder.”

Coletto was charged with pointing a laser at a driver or pilot, a felony, and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail. He was later released after posting $5,000 bond.