Road Rage Incident Ends In Homicide Charges
By Denise Rivette
Michael Joseph Gambale is facing one count of deliberate homicide and three counts of attempted deliberate homicide for purposely running his silver Mitsubishi into multiple motorcyclists on a rampage through Carbon County on Tuesday. He faces a minimum of 10 years to a maximum of 100 years or death for each count.
According to court documents, the terror began north of Rockvale at approximately 1:40 in the afternoon when two brothers riding their motorcycles southbound on Highway 310 were overtaken by a silver car allegedly driven by Gambale. The first brother reported that the silver vehicle pulled up next to them in the passing lane. When the car was next to his rear tire, he saw the vehicle swerve toward his bike in an apparent move to cause a wreck. He was able to avoid a collision by maneuvering his motorcycle away from the car. The vehicle swerved toward him five times. Had he been a less experienced rider, he believes he would have wrecked.
The second brother reported that the silver car also attempted to collide with his bike and he had to apply his brakes several times to avoid being struck by the swerving car. Further down the road, the second brother attempted to pass the silver car using the passing lane, thinking he would be protected by a truck also in the passing lane. Instead, the car swerved toward him and struck his leg. The motorcyclist was able to maintain his balance, but suffered abrasions.
As the three vehicles entered Rockvale, the first brother was able to pull into a parking lot. The second brother was behind the car. Before he could join his brother, the car made a U-turn and the driver, swinging a rope out of his window, drove the wrong way on the highway in an attempt to strike the motorcyclist again. The second brother was forced over a curb to exit the highway.
The silver car reportedly stopped with the “driver yelling wildly and flipping off” the two brothers. Another motorist reported seeing the incident, and his account was consistent with the two brothers’.
The Carbon County Sheriff’s deputy who took the report on this incident later responded with other deputies and Highway Patrol officers to a car versus motorcycle accident on Highway 72 south of Belfry that occurred just before 2:30. En route to the scene, deputies were informed that the suspect vehicle, a silver Mitsubishi, had fled the accident scene headed south. The description was consistent with the vehicle involved in the Rockvale incident. The car, with Yellowstone County plates, was identified as belonging to Michael Joseph Gambale. A be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) notice was issued for the car to area law enforcement agencies.
The first deputy at the second scene arrived to find multiple vehicles pulled over to the side of the highway and a Harley Davidson motorcycle registered in Virginia on its side. Bystanders were already providing aid to the motorcycle passengers. The deputy reported that one rider was “unresponsive and was exhibiting agonal breathing” while the other “was semi-conscious with visible injuries…” The deputy unsuccessfully attempted CPR on the unresponsive rider until Bridger EMS arrived on scene. He was subsequently pronounced dead. The other rider was transported to Billings Clinic in Billings, where she is reported in stable condition.
Witnesses on scene described a southbound driver begin passing the motorcycle in the passing lane before swerving toward the Harley. The car then swerved to the left before swerving once again into the motorcycle. The second collision caused the motorcycle to leave the roadway and crash. The car continued south towards Cody, Wyoming. A plastic cover to a passenger side view mirror was located at the scene.
Gambale was later stopped in Cody by Cody Police and detained on an unrelated warrant out of Park County, Wyoming. The Cowboy State Daily reports that Gambale had been released the day before on bond in a criminal case in Cody Circuit Court pertaining to an alleged probation violation regarding a “case where he earlier pleaded no contest to firing crossbow bolt and/or air gun darts onto the runway of Yellowstone Regional Airport last November.” At the time of his arrest in Cody, he was driving the silver Mitsubishi which had damage to the passenger side, including a missing cover for the side view mirror. There was also a rope in the car. During the arrest, a detective with the Cody Police Department reported that Gambale “made an excited utterance regarding hitting a motorcycle in Montana.”
After he was informed of his rights and agreed to be interviewed, Carbon County Sheriff’s deputies spoke with Gambale about the incidents. Gambale “relayed that he was being harassed by a motorcycle gang after encountering a motorcycle on I-90 near Laurel.” This statement and others Gambale made during the interview “was inconsistent with independent witnesses.” Gambale remains in custody in Wyoming awaiting extradition.
The deceased driver of the motorcycle has been identified by Carbon County Sheriff Josh McQuillan as Martin Hans Peter, 70 years old. Martin was from Switzerland.
Anyone with information relating to these incidents, please contact Carbon County Detective Ben Mahoney at bmahoney@co.carbon.mt.us or Dispatch at (406) 446-1234.