Woman accused of road rage car chase from Fort Myers to LaBelle

A driver says a woman followed him for more than 30 miles over about 45 minutes in Southwest Florida across county lines.

Hendry County Sheriff’s Office arrested Elisia Hato, 44, for a road rage incident with another driver Wednesday.

The victim told deputies it began at the intersection with Fowler Street and Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers and ended over in LaBelle.

According to the HCSO report, deputies say it all started because the suspect did not think the victim moved over fast enough when an ambulance passed by.

Investigators say Hato got out of her car and started yelling at the man who was still in his car, but the rage didn’t stop there.

Hato is accused of following another driver in a road rage fit and slamming into the driver’s vehicle multiple times.

“I can’t believe something like that has happened in this area,” Daphne Young said. “You hear of these crazy stories in the news, but you don’t know how things like that happen.”

The driver says Hato yelled at him and followed him closely from Fort Myers, where she lives, all the way to LaBelle.

“I mean, 45 minutes of chasing someone, that’s a lot,” Connor Weeks said. “That’s a lot of anger.”

The victim called 911 after the first crash, but he says Hato slammed into the back of his car two more times before Hendry County deputies responded and arrested her.

“Probably not the best time to chase and attack people with your vehicle during the holidays,” Week said. “It is the holidays, you know?”

“It scares me quite a bit,” Young said. “I have a 4-year-old, and there are some crazy drivers out there, so you wanna be safe on the roads.”

Florida Highway Patrol says, before drivers engage in a road rage incident, you should consider the consequences.

“What’s going to happen is potentially someone is going to get hurt,” FHP Lt. Greg Bueno said. “There’s going to be a traffic crash, or someone is going to go to jail.”

Hato denies ever striking the victim’s vehicle with the car she was driving but deputies say they found damage to both cars that was consistent with the victim’s account. She told Hendry County deputies she was following the driver who reported her because she saw a gun on his lap while in Lee County.

Fort Myers Police Department says Hato told police she never observed a weapon. They searched the other driver’s car and didn’t see a gun.

Hato faces a charge for aggravated battery.