Motorist fatally stabbed truck passenger who spit on his BMW: Police

Teddy Smith allegedly stabbed another man for spitting on his BMW.

April 6, 2018, 4:07 PM

A Florida man was arrested late Thursday after a road rage confrontation in Tampa turned deadly.

Teddy Smith, 44, allegedly became enraged when Gilbert Serna, who was a passenger in a truck, apparently spit on his BMW Wednesday morning.

Serna, 56, had a habit of spitting out of the window, his sister told ABC station WFTS.

But when the truck and Smith's BMW were stopped on Fowler Avenue about 11 a.m., the spitting led to an argument.

That's when Smith allegedly stabbed Serna in the upper body, according to the police report.

PHOTO: Teddy Baltimore Smith, 44, is pictured in this mugshot. Smith was arrested and charged with 2nd degree murder, April 5, 2017, Tampa Police announced in a press release.
Teddy Baltimore Smith, 44, is pictured in this mugshot. Smith was arrested on April 5, 2017 in Tampa, Fla., and charged with 2nd degree murder after stabbing a passenger in a truck who spat at his car.

The police performed CPR on Serna but he died from his injuries at the hospital.

Smith, meanwhile, fled, police said. The driver of the truck gave chase, but he eventually stopped at the corner of W 109th Avenue and N Ashley Street.

Sometime afterward, Smith went to the District Two substation to talk to police. He told them that “he shouldn’t have spit on.”

At that time, Smith wasn’t arrested and was told that he could leave at any time.

But late Wednesday, the police located the BMW and on Thursday they arrested Smith after a short foot chase, Tampa police said.

He was charged with second-degree murder, police said.

It was unclear if Smith had legal representation.