Man Accused Of Assaulting Wife, Pushing Her Into Traffic On I-75

PASCO COUNTY, FL — A Marion County man is being sought on charges of attempted murder after the Florida Highway Patrol said he assaulted his wife and pushed her into the path of a tractor-trailer truck on Interstate 75 in Pasco County.

On Thursday at 9:30 a.m., the FHP received multiple calls from drivers on I-75 reporting that a man was beating a woman on the side of the highway.

When troopers arrived at the location, they found a woman with several witnesses next to a Dodge Ram pickup truck hauling a utility trailer, which was pulled off onto the shoulder of the highway.

The woman told troopers that she was driving with her husband of 12 years, Joey Edward Morgan, 45, of Summerfield in the passenger seat.

As she headed south on I-75, a tire on the truck blew out. She said her husband yanked the steering wheel to the right causing her to nearly lose control of the truck. She was able to come to a stop on the shoulder where the couple began to argue.

The wife said the argument escalated. Morgan got out of the truck, walked around to the driver's door and pulled her out of the truck by the hair. He then began to headbutt and punch her before pushing her into the travel lane of the highway. A tractor-trailer truck driver was forced to take evasive action to avoid hitting her.

Throughout the assault, the wife said Morgan repeatedly said he was going to kill her.

When Morgan saw state troopers arrive, he fled into a wooded area. Troopers and Pasco County Sheriff's deputies unsuccessfully searched for him.

The Florida Highway Patrol obtained a warrant for Morgan's arrest. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the FHP at 813-558-1800.