A frightening situation in Gray Mountain when a couple from Arkansas stopped to assist someone whom they thought had been in an accident; only to be attacked by the man who was wielding a knife.
ABC 15 in Phoenix reports that on Monday, August 5th, at approximately 1:00 p.m. the couple had been traveling southbound on Highway 90 when they spotted a vehicle that was off the roadway.
As they approached what appeared to be a stranded vehicle, the man inside got out and came at the couple, holding one hand behind his back. The couple got back into their car and attempted to get away.
The suspect, whom the Coconino County Sheriff’s Department has identified as Richard Osburn, 35, jumped onto the couple’s vehicle and began breaking the sunroof of the sedan with the knife that he had in his hand.
Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies told ABC that the Arkansas man was fighting through the sunroof to keep Osburn at bay while the woman drove away. Deputies said in a statement that the vehicle reached speeds of up to 70 miles per hour in as the woman attempted to dislodge Osburn. The man in the passenger seat was eventually able to push Osburn off the vehicle and onto the pavement of the highway.
Osburn was later found by CCSD deputies in the southbound lanes of Highway 90 with severe injuries and heavy bleeding. Osburn was pronounced dead at the scene.
The woman in the incident was treated at the scene for minor injuries, while deputies found the man with multiple stab wounds to his hands. He was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
CCSD brought Osburn’s wife in for questioning but later released her to the custody of a friend.
The incident is still currently under investigation by the Department of Public Safety and the CCSD.
No further information has been released about the incident.
