Not guilty plea in fatal LI road rage

LONG BEACH, N.Y. As 22-year-old Evan Potts faced a charge of 2nd-degree manslaughter in Long Beach -- his mother broke into tears. His lawyer, insisting that what happened on West Park Avenue on Friday, got way beyond everyone's control.

"There's a panic involved here that drives people to do things, that no one is happy about the results," Potts' defense attorney, Stanley Kapilow said.

Police and witnesses say -- there was road rage for at least a mile leading up to this intersection in Long Beach. The driver of the Porsche, even getting out of his car, and verbally attacking, even Potts, a Queens College student, who appeared to be trying to pull away.

But instead, Potts ran over the 34-year-old man -- and this is how one witness describes Potts moments later.

"It was a shock..He (Potts) kept saying 'I didn't mean it, I didn't mean it.'..I felt bad for the kid, he was cornered," eyewitness John Messina said.

And police now confirm Potts' claim, that he felt so threatened during the moments before the incident, that he called 9-1-1..never even having time to hang up.

"Mr. Potts did call 9-1-1 at the at the scene of the incident, and we have an open line from his cell phone," Det. Lt. John Azzata /Nassau County Police Dept.

No doubt - evidence...as this case continues.

Evan Potts is being held on $500,000 bail until his next court appearance on Tuesday. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison.

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WEB PRODUCED BY: Lakisha Bostick


NEW YORK AND TRI-STATE AREA NEWS

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