A road rage confrontation in Estero, Florida, took a violent turn when a woman allegedly threw a glass jar of vegan mayonnaise through another driver’s open window, striking her in the face.
Christine Sweet, 57, was arrested after deputies said she was involved in the August 20 confrontation on Corkscrew Road near Interstate 75. The other driver suffered a cut beneath her eye and later received medical treatment.
According to the arrest report, the incident began when the vehicle Sweet was riding in moved in front of another vehicle near Corkscrew Road and Three Oaks Parkway. The driver who was cut off honked her horn, after which the confrontation escalated with shouting and hand gestures between the two vehicles.
The vehicles eventually came alongside one another. Both windows were open, and the drivers and passengers exchanged words.
The victim told investigators that she suddenly saw an arm extend from the other vehicle and immediately felt a sharp impact to her face. She then realized that she had been struck by a glass container of Vegenaise, a plant-based mayonnaise substitute.
The woman heard Sweet allegedly tell the driver of the van, “I hit her in the face, go, go, go,” before the vehicle left the area.
The injured driver went to a hospital for treatment of the cut under her eye and later reported the incident to authorities.
The case remained under investigation until September 17, when the victim spotted the vehicle she believed was involved parked at San Carlos Plaza on South Tamiami Trail. She contacted deputies, who responded to the location and identified Sweet.
During questioning, investigators said Sweet admitted throwing the jar.
The unusual object involved in the alleged assault also became part of the deputies’ interaction with Sweet. In body-camera footage referenced by authorities, a deputy asked what the product was after Sweet identified it as Vegenaise.
“It’s a vegan version of mayonnaise,” Sweet explained.
Sweet was subsequently taken into custody. Recent reports indicate she was booked into the Lee County Jail and faces aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, along with a separate weapons-related charge involving an occupied vehicle.
The allegations have not been adjudicated in court, and the charges are accusations unless proven otherwise.
The incident serves as another example of how quickly a confrontation between drivers can escalate after an ordinary traffic dispute. In this case, what began with a vehicle cutting another driver off ended with an alleged physical attack and criminal charges.
