Road-rage case bound over to Wood County grand jury

Attorney Scott Ciolek has his client Jeffrey Hardeman read a waiver before signing it Thursday in Perrysburg Municipal Court.

The man charged with assaulting former radio personality Troy Neff during a road rage incident this month waived a preliminary hearing Thursday in Perrysburg Municipal Court.

Jeffrey Hardeman, 42, of Knoxville, Tenn., is charged with felonious assault and tampering with evidence from the Dec. 10 incident in Perrysburg Township.

He appeared briefly in court Thursday and spoke softly to the judge to waive the preliminary hearing. His case will be bound over to the Wood County grand jury.

Mr. Hardeman had been in the Wood County jail since his arrest in lieu of a $75,000 bond. His bond was changed Thursday to his own recognizance so that he could return home to Tennessee.

William Connelly Jr., a Wood County assistant prosecutor, noted that Mr. Hardeman has no prior criminal record. He added the stipulation that he not stay at a Perrysburg hotel during his travels for work.

Mr. Hardeman, a quality control engineer with the glass industry, was in town for work when the incident happened on Holiday Lane.

Apparently Mr. Hardeman pulled out of a parking lot onto the road in front of Mr. Neff, who then honked the horn at Mr. Hardeman.

Words were exchanged and the men got out of the car and fought.

Mr. Neff suffered cuts to a hand, arm, and shoulder. Mr. Hardeman also got a cut on the hand.