Florida Gas Station Video Shows Pickup Driver Snapping, Attempting to Run Down Clerk

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

A Chevy Silverado owner in Florida snapped and attempted to run down a gas station attendant following a heated argument about fuel pumps. Frankly, we can’t imagine how anyone could be unhappy with fuel prices being so low, but this is Florida, a state whose motto of “In God We Trust” seems far less fitting than my proposed alternative of “Check This Out.”

America’s infamous panhandle is a wellspring of weirdness and, in true Florida fashion, the latest event is as terrifying as it is hysterical. While attempting to assault someone with a motor vehicle holds little humor in itself, watching that person fail as their agitated target (who had to get in the last word) takes a near-perfect pratfall offers so much instant relief, the mind can’t help itself.

The incident began when 34-year-old Brandon Bingaman needed to refuel his truck and chose a spot near Panama City. Accounts allege that Bingaman got into a heated argument with the clerk after going inside to pre-pay for fuel. The truck owner apparently forgot to tell her he wanted diesel and had issues after returning to his pickup. Things worsened from there, with video footage showing the argument continuing outside before the pickup swings around and attempts to ram her in front of the store’s entrance.

This is when the magic happens. Barricades designed to prevent just such an incident manage to stop the Silverado from turning her into paste while she falls perfectly backwards against the door. While one can’t help but laugh, repeat viewings show exactly how close the clerk was from taking a permanent vacation. We’ve no clue how she stopped herself from diving out of the way, though the surveillance footage is definitely richer for it.

Local outlet WVIR-TV reported that the Bay County Sheriff’s Office has already taken Bingaman into custody and charged him with aggravated assault. He fled the scene after the incident, but witnesses and video evidence helped identify him. Law enforcement also verified that the argument become heated long before either of them went back outside and the truck was used as weapon — with Bingaman complaining about his wife while paying, then bickering with the clerk about getting the pumps working.

While attempted murder charges are a possibility, the Chevy nose-dives before smacking into the parking bollards. The driver may have been only attempting to scare the clerk but, boy, what a bad way to go about it. It also doesn’t look like he would have had sufficient room to stop had the barricades not been there.

The fracas occurred on May 6th; authorities took possession of Mr. Bingaman less than a day later. The clerk claims the man was not specific about what type of fuel he wanted and became furious after he realized she didn’t turn on the diesel pump. From there, she claims to have activated the applicable nozzle, though the pickup owner continued having issues and ultimately demanded a refund. The ensuring argument between them seemed to be the final straw for Bingaman, and you can see the clerk offing a few angry words seconds before he comes back with the truck.

[Image: WVIR-TV/YouTube]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Ol Shel Ol Shel on May 14, 2020

    In the South, I'm pretty sure you're allowed to kill anyone who threatens your masculinity.

    • See 3 previous
    • -Nate -Nate on May 20, 2020

      @Jeff Semenak No Jeff ; It's the facts from the police reports . If it's O.K. with you for a white man to go out hunting black children, I guess , I don't think that's appropriate . As an American citizen you're allowed to be a racist, you just have to man up and admit it . I live in the Ghetto and have to actually deal with the boogymen you cowards imagine, daily . -Nate

  • Schmitt trigger Schmitt trigger on May 14, 2020

    Wasn't Florida the state that pioneered the "stand your ground" laws?

    • HotPotato HotPotato on May 16, 2020

      Funny how the person standing her ground here, literally, is the clerk...against the person wielding the deadly weapon.

  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
  • B-BodyBuick84 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport of course, a 7 seater, 2.4 turbo-diesel I4 BOF SUV with Super-Select 4WD, centre and rear locking diffs standard of course.
  • Corey Lewis Think how dated this 80s design was by 1995!
  • Tassos Jong-iL Communist America Rises!
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