Probation granted in I-49 trucker shooting case

May 17—LAMAR, Mo. — A truck driver who fired shots at another moving vehicle two years ago on Interstate 49 in Barton County received suspended prison terms this week and was placed on probation.

At a hearing in Barton County Circuit Court on Thursday, Judge David Munton assessed Danny F. Dollison, 45, of Independence, Missouri, 10 years for first-degree assault and two years for unlawful use of a weapon but suspended execution of the sentences and placed him on supervised probation for five years. The defendant also was ordered to pay $1,275 in restitution to the victim.

Dollison had pleaded guilty to the charges March 31 in a plea deal dismissing a related count of armed criminal action and permitting the possibility of suspended sentences.

The convictions pertain to shots fired April 14, 2022, in the direction of a pickup truck driven by an Irwin man who was headed home on I-49 from work in Lamar. The man was attempting to pass Dollison's semi-truck when the defendant pointed a gun at him and fired a couple of shots.

The victim called 911 and dropped back behind the truck until Vernon County deputies were able to pull Dollison over and detain him. A 9 mm handgun was recovered from his truck, which Dollison admitted having fired three times into the highway's median.

Jeff Lehr is a reporter for The Joplin Globe.