Driver sentenced after punching man to death in road rage case, Missouri officials say

A Missouri driver accused of fatally punching a man several times — and then placing that man in his own vehicle on the side of a road before driving away — has been sentenced to prison.

Joshua O’Keefe, 40, of Troy, was sentenced to 15 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections on Feb. 7, according to a news release from the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of St. Charles County, Missouri.

O’Keefe was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in October in connection to the Aug. 30, 2020, road rage case that led to 68-year-old Ron Lawson’s death, KSDK reported at the time.

The defense attorney representing O’Keefe could not be reached for comment by McClatchy News.

Authorities say O’Keefe and the victim were traveling separately on Interstate 64 “at a high rate of speed.” They both left the highway and stopped along the right shoulder before stepping out of their vehicles.

At that point, O’Keefe punched the victim multiple times, according to the news release. After the victim lost consciousness, officials say O’Keefe placed him back in his own vehicle and left without calling 911.

The victim died from attack-related injuries, the prosecutor said. Lawson worked with Winfield Fire Protection Service as a volunteer firefighter, KMOV reported.

This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 9:16 AM with the headline "Driver sentenced after punching man to death in road rage case, Missouri officials say."