Trooper Suspended, Alleged Road Rage Driver Pleads Not Guilty In Summer 2021 Collision

Video of a violent road rage collision on Interstate 35 captured by a News 9 employee last August has now been viewed hundreds of times.

After receiving only a ticket at the scene, the man who allegedly caused the collision with a child in his back seat was in court Thursday attempting to fight off two felonies.

Steven Coughran, 40, pleaded not guilty to child neglect and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in district court.

The testimony at the preliminary hearing at times was testy as the alleged victim recounted Coughran slamming into his vehicle at around 80 miles per-hour.

Brett Powers told the court he thought Coughran was going to shoot him. An attorney for Coughran asked why the other driver didn’t call 911 before the crash.

“I should have,” Powers said.

Related: Road Rage Incident Along I-35 Caught On Camera 

The court also heard testimony from the woman who took the now viral video. She recalled seeing Coughran’s four-year-old son in a booster seat in the back seat.

Judge Katheryn Savage watched the video and was visibly surprised by what she saw.

According to court documents, Coughran told the Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper at the scene his road rage was fueled by testosterone.

The investigating trooper declined to watch the cell phone video of the crash and ultimately let Coughran leave the scene with a $249 ticket for an improper lane change.

According to OHP records obtained through an open records request, Lipe was disciplined for not properly investing the crash four months after the incident.

A disciplinary letter pinned by Department of Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton revealed it was only after News 9’s reporting that the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reviewed the case and decided to charge Coughran with two felonies.

“The public outcry about your handling of this situation has cast the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in a bad light,” Tipton wrote, in part.

Related: ‘Cutting You A Break’: Bodycam Of I-35 Road Rage Investigation Draws Questions 

Lipe was suspended without pay for 15 days and is still employed with OHP.

“Your conduct is deemed to have a major adverse impact on members, employees, members of the public and public safety,” the letter added.

Only adding to the severity according to the report: a child’s welfare was at risk.

Coughran is due back in court next month. The most severe charge, child neglect, carries up to life in prison.