Road rage lands him in jail on homicide count

HONESDALE, Pa. - A man involved in a fender-bender at a fast-food restaurant chased the motorist who hit his van at speeds topping 80 mph, leading to a fatal wreck, police said.

Joseph Diehl, 42, of Moscow, Lackawanna County, was jailed, charged with with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence in the death of William Vogt, who had tapped Diehl's van in the drive-through line of a McDonald's restaurant in Hamlin.

State police said Vogt, 21, of Lake Ariel, backed into Dielh's van about 10:30 p.m. Monday.

Vogt and Diehl's wife, who had been driving the van, agreed to pull aside and exchange insurance information. Instead, Vogt drove off, police said. Joseph Diehl then jumped in the van and drove after Vogt, leaving his wife in the parking lot but taking his 20-year-old stepson and 15-year-old stepdaughter with him in the van, police said.

Police in Wayne County said Vogt's car eventually veered off the road and plunged into a marsh near Lake Ariel. He died in the crash; a passenger in his car suffered minor injuries.

Diehl told cops he had taken five prescription drugs in the day leading up to the chase. *