Charlotte Doctor, 61, Jailed Without Bond After I-77 Shooting Wounded 2 Sisters

Q: Why was the driver of the victims' vehicle also charged in the violent interstate clash?

The Jeep’s driver was charged because investigators say that person was not treated solely as a victim in the encounter. Virginia State Police said the driver was cited for reckless driving, indicating troopers believed the driver’s own conduct on I-77 violated traffic law during the road-rage episode. The public information released so far does not say the Jeep driver fired a weapon or caused the gunshots. The shooting allegations are directed at Richard T. Ariviello, who faces the felony charges tied to firing from the Mercedes-Benz and injuring the two sisters. But police have repeatedly described the case as a road-rage incident between the two vehicles, and the reckless-driving charge suggests investigators found evidence that the Jeep driver was driving dangerously as the confrontation unfolded. That can include speeding, aggressive lane changes, following too closely, or other conduct that creates a hazard, though troopers have not publicly specified the exact behavior. So the reason the victims’ driver was also charged is narrower than the shooting case: authorities appear to believe the driver separately committed a traffic offense during the same interstate clash, even though the passengers in that vehicle were the ones struck by gunfire. The investigation remains ongoing, and police may provide more detail later.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 24

Virginia State Police said Richard Thomas Arriviello, 61, allegedly fired from a Mercedes into a moving Jeep on Interstate 77, striking sisters aged 12 and 20 in the legs.
About 8:50 a.m., the shooting happened roughly 3 miles north of the North Carolina-Virginia line; troopers stopped Arriviello about 15 miles away after he fled, and both victims were airlifted with non-life-threatening injuries.
Arriviello faces felony counts including malicious shooting into an occupied vehicle, maliciously causing bodily harm with intent to maim, and using a firearm while committing a felony; he remains in the New River Valley Regional Jail and is due in court Sept. 29.
North Carolina Medical Board records show he has been licensed in emergency medicine since 2010, owns Family Urgent Care in Monroe, and has no public disciplinary actions listed.
Police have not said what triggered the road rage encounter or whether a gun was recovered; the Jeep's driver was also cited for reckless driving.