Plea Deal Reached in Pharmacy Drive-Thru Road Rage Case

A Brookside Farms resident is charged with punching another woman in the face in the Pharmacy drive-thru.

On Monday, Constance O'Ferrell, 52, of 3204 Arapahoe Road, agreed to take anger management classes in exchange for the simple assault charge against her to be dropped.

The victim, Kala Gatalski, told at a preliminary hearing that on Oct. 4, 2011, she honked the horn while sitting in the pharmacy drive-thru in an attempt to see if the driver ahead of her was done or if the pharmacy window was closed. Gatalski said she had been waiting behind the driver for about 20 minutes.

A short time later, O'Ferrell drove a short distance, parked her vehicle and walked to Gatalski's vehicle. Gatalski was on her cell phone with her mother when she said O'Ferrell screamed at her to get off the phone. Gatalski said O'Ferrell reached through her car window and tried to grab the phone. Then she said O'Ferrell punched her on the left side of her face. Gatalski said the punch left a bruise.

O'Ferrell left Giant Eagle after the confrontation and a Giant Eagle employee called the Bethel Park Police Department. Gatalski wrote down O'Ferrell's license plate number and gave it to the officer.

When police went to O'Ferrell's residence, O'Ferrell told them she was upset because of the excessive horn blowing and attempted to explain patience to Gatalski, however, she denied assaulting the woman.

O'Ferrell's preliminary hearing was continued for four months to allow her to complete the anger management classes. She must also have no contact with the victim and no negative contact with the police.