12/28 – 5:00 p.m. – An officer was monitoring traffic at the intersection of South Illinois Street & Veterans Drive, when he utilized radar to clock a vehicle travelling southbound on South Illinois over 60 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour speed zone. The vehicle then illegally passed two other vehicles, and stopped in front of another vehicle. The officer saw the second vehicle had plenty of time to stop, however it lightly struck the rear of the other vehicle. The officer observed both drivers getting out of their vehicles and an argument ensuing. Upon investigating this was a case of apparent road rage between the two drivers, which began in Belleville at Centreville Avenue & Route 15. Both drivers admitted to stopping at the intersection of Washington & Jefferson in Millstadt, and both of them getting out and threatening to fight. One of the vehicles then left and suffered a damaged tire while striking a curb. One vehicle then began to chase the other vehicle till they were finally stopped. There were also two juvenile females in one of the vehicles. Ross C. Rounkles, age 45 of Belleville, was charged with Speeding & Disobeying a No Passing Zone. Stephen J. Kettler, age 62 of Columbia, was charged with Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident.
