Flowery Branch man accused of punching teen unconscious in road rage incident

EDITOR’S NOTE, Aug. 11, 2025: In July 2025, a jury found Duane Andrew Sudderth not guilty on most charges related to this incident, according to Gwinnett County Superior Court records. He was convicted of misdemeanor aggressive driving and sentenced to 12 months of probation after serving 83 days in jail.

A Flowery Branch man was arrested after Gwinnett County police said he repeatedly punched a teenager until he was unconscious after threatening to sexually assault the teen’s younger sister in a fit of road rage.

Duane Andrew Sudderth, 57, faces charges of aggravated battery, two counts of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, first- and third-degree cruelty to children, entering auto and aggressive driving.

Police said Sudderth “flipped off” an 18-year-old Wednesday as they drove in the area of Peachtree Industrial and R.H. Smith boulevards, just north of Buford Drive. The teen returned the gesture, at which point Sudderth followed him, a police report states.

“According to the victim, the suspect tried running him off the road,” spokesperson Sgt. Michele Pihera said.

At some point, Sudderth pulled up beside the teen and said “he would rape his girlfriend,” who was actually the teen’s 15-year-old sister seated in the front passenger seat, according to the report.

Shortly after, the victims pulled into a private driveway on Buford Dam Road near Marina Way. That’s when Sudderth pulled in behind them, got out of his blue pickup truck and began to repeatedly punch the teen in the face through the window and continued after the teen got out of the car, police said.

Eventually, the teen lost consciousness. He called police when he woke up.

“Over the next few days, the North Precinct Community Response Team followed up on the case. Utilizing (license plate reader cameras), they were able to track down the owner of the blue truck,” Pihera said.

Officers arrested Sudderth at his home Sunday. He was booked into the Gwinnett jail, where he is being held without bond.

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.

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