Man arrested for throwing explosive into Verizon van during road rage altercation

A man from Brooklyn, New York, is confronting federal charges for arson after he purportedly hurled an explosive device into a Verizon utility work van in a traffic altercation earlier this year.

Kevindale Nurse, who was operating a white minibus with his 4-year-old son inside, purportedly drove recklessly before abruptly cutting off a Verizon utility van in the incident on Jan. 31, as per the U.S. Justice Department, which uncovered the indictment on Thursday.

Nurse then unlatched the door of the minibus and purportedly tossed an explosive device into the driver’s side window of the Verizon van, causing an explosion within the vehicle, federal officials stated.

The 36-year-old was apprehended in New York City on Thursday.

The two repairmen sustained multiple injuries and their van was extensively damaged by the explosion. The Verizon employees were working on high-speed data lines and fiber optic equipment at that time.

“As alleged, Nurse deliberately threw an explosive device into the window of another vehicle on a public road, endangering the lives of the vehicle’s occupants and others in the area,” United States Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, road rage is an all-too common occurrence in our communities,” he continued. “But this dangerous and senseless attack on a busy intersection in the heart of Brooklyn was beyond the pale.”

He entered a plea of not guilty and was refused bail in his initial court appearance Thursday.

If found guilty, Nurse could face seven to 40 years in prison.

“There is no place in civil society for the spreading of fear through intimidation, violence, and destruction,” NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said in a statement.

Jeff Dahlberg, Nurse’s court-appointed attorney, stated that he had no comment at this moment.