DA files charges in Fryingpan road rage incident

Two misdemeanor charges have been filed against a Meredith man accused by police of trying to run his wife off Frying Pan Road on Dec. 30.

The 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office filed harassment and reckless endangerment charges against Forrest Gillard, according to court records. An arraignment hearing, where he could possibly enter a plea, is scheduled Feb. 8 in Eagle County Court.

Gillard, 29, was arrested by the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office on the same charges. The incident report said Gillard used his pickup truck to run his wife’s car off the road. They were traveling west or downvalley about 10 miles east of Basalt when the incident occurred at about 9:30 a.m.

Both vehicles went down a short embankment and landed on the edge of the Fryingpan River. The pickup rolled onto the driver’s side. Gillard and his wife were the sole occupants of the vehicles. They both escaped injury.

The woman was able to catch a ride to Basalt, where she contacted law enforcement officials and went to the police station. Medical personnel from Basalt Fire Department evaluated Gillard at the scene, but he wasn’t transported to the hospital.

Gillard left the scene and an initial report indicated he was later arrested at his Meredith residence by an Eagle County deputy sheriff. Later information said Gillard was spotted by two Basalt police officers in a vehicle traveling westbound on Highway 82 at about 1 p.m. the day of the incident. They stopped the vehicle, took Gillard into custody and released him to an Eagle County deputy sheriff.

Gillard remains in Eagle County Jail on $500 bond. However, a jailer said there is a “parole hold” on Gillard, which means a parole office could keep him in custody even if he made bond. Information wasn’t immediately available from the jail staff on what parole office put the hold on Gillard.