A California man has been indicted for hitting a federal official in his Mercedes back in March.
Geoffrey Rickner owed the IRS more than $200,000, and was seen driving outside a federal building on March 3 that includes IRS officers. He was approached after officials saw him driving in an “unusual manner,” but he left after noting he owed the IRS money.
But Rickner returned and ended up hitting a Department of Homeland Security official with his silver Mercedes.
“Rickner drove up to and stopped at a stop sign near the south entrance,” according to a Wednesday statement from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or TIGTA.
“Shortly after 4:30 p.m., while a federal employee was walking in the crosswalk en route to his vehicle, Rickner ‘gunned it,’ accelerating his car quickly, and drove through the intersection, hitting the pedestrian in the crosswalk,” it added. “The pedestrian was thrown in the air. The Mercedes continued forward after hitting the pedestrian, rammed through a metal roll-down gate …”
TIGTA said Rickner was removed from his car and taken into custody. It said a later investigation said Rickner’s father said his son was “feeling guilty” about his debt, and had been depressed.
The DHS official who was hit lived, but suffered broken ribs, a broken nose and other injuries.
