Investigators say a sideswipe led to an assault at Cicero Avenue and Southwest Highway the evening of Nov. 28.
OAK LAWN, Ill. — A Cook County judge ordered a 41-year-old Rockford man jailed after police said a road-rage crash escalated into a beating that left a 73-year-old with a broken jaw and other injuries near 90th Street and Cicero Avenue. Officers arrested the driver at the scene and recovered witness statements.
The case has drawn attention because of the speed at which routine traffic friction turned into serious violence and the vulnerability of the victims. The couple, who asked to be identified only as Joseph and Deborah, told reporters they were turning onto Southwest Highway when a pickup cut across lanes from a gas station, sideswiped their car and then the driver attacked. Prosecutors charged two felony counts of aggravated battery, and the court set the next appearance for Dec. 19 at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
According to police, Deborah attempted to merge for a right turn when the truck accelerated and struck her vehicle. She exited to speak with the driver and was shoved. Joseph got out to help and was punched to the ground. “I thought he was going to kill him,” Deborah said. Witnesses called 911 as passing traffic slowed around the scene. Paramedics treated Joseph and took him to a hospital, where surgeons later installed two plates in his jaw, the family said.
Authorities identified the suspect as D’Angelo Groce, 41. Court officials noted prior convictions, including burglary in 2010, a 2012 domestic violence case and a 2020 aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a motor vehicle. Probation in the latter case ended in December 2023. In this incident, police documented a broken nose, a broken jaw, two broken teeth and abrasions on Joseph’s hands, along with body damage to the family’s car. Repair bills are estimated above $2,000, and Deborah said they paid about $7,000 for surgery because they lack dental insurance.
The crash took place near an entrance to a busy gas station along Cicero Avenue, a corridor that funnels traffic toward Southwest Highway. Investigators canvassed the area for surveillance video from nearby businesses and checked police body-camera footage. Officers transported Groce directly to the station for booking while firefighters secured the roadway and moved the damaged cars. Detectives forwarded the reports to the State’s Attorney’s Office, which approved the two felony counts.
At a bond hearing, the judge called the defendant a danger to public safety and ordered him held at the Cook County Jail while the case advances. Prosecutors said they may update charges after complete medical records arrive. Traffic citations related to the sideswipe remain under review. Police said they plan to release an additional statement with any video evidence ahead of the next court date on Dec. 19.
Residents who live near the intersection said congestion spikes around the dinner hour and that near-misses are common when drivers rush to enter or exit the gas station lanes. A driver who stopped after the crash said he saw the older man “try to get up and then fall again” as the other man advanced. Deborah later found her glasses in the street. “He’s been through enough,” she said of her husband, noting a dementia diagnosis three years ago.
As of Thursday, the defendant remained in custody and the couple was arranging follow-up dental appointments and car repairs. Prosecutors said the next milestone is the Dec. 19 hearing, when the court will consider the charging documents and any additional evidence gathered from witnesses and cameras.
Author note: Last updated December 11, 2025.