Girlfriend says woman had a ‘seizure’ while attacking man on MacArthur Causeway

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Florida — The boyfriend of a woman caught on camera attacking a man after a crash on the MacArthur Causeway spoke exclusively to Local 10 News on Tuesday.

An early Monday morning on the busy highway took a chaotic turn when a car crash led to the arrest of a 26-year-old Miami woman.

The woman’s boyfriend/passenger’s quick actions helped defuse the situation, which occurred around 5:30 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of the causeway near Biscayne Boulevard.

Friend Rashad Gaitor shared his perspective with Local 10 News on Tuesday, revealing that the incident could have been completely avoided. He also recounted the moments before the altercation.

“I would say she had a seizure – she was completely confused,” he said.

Acklynn Byamugisha, a 26-year-old with two master’s degrees in public health from the University of Miami, was struggling to cope when her car was hit by a man police identified as Freddy Diaz.

Police said after hours passed while waiting for state troopers to arrive, they became increasingly frustrated.

The situation took a turn when police said Diaz’s father arrived at the scene.

Byamugisha claimed Diaz’s father verbally threatened her and assaulted her by pulling her hair, police said.

As tensions rose, Byamugisha, clearly distressed, began brandishing a screwdriver and a bottle of Windex and directing her frustration at Diaz’s father.

Video footage from Sky 10 showed Diaz protecting his father from what appeared to be Byamugisha, who tried to stab him with the screwdriver.

According to Rashad, the confrontation was sparked by a racial slur from Diaz’s father, who did not know Byamugisha spoke Spanish.

Gaitor said he intervened to calm the situation and continue to maintain Byamugisha’s innocence.

“She definitely didn’t want to hurt anyone,” he said. “She is not a violent person.”

According to authorities, moments later, Byamugisha entered Diaz’s father’s vehicle, grabbed a screwdriver and a bottle of Windex and sprayed it in Diaz and his father’s faces.

Police said Byamugisha lunged at Diaz and his father with the screwdriver, causing the victim to fall.

In surveillance video obtained by Local 10 News, Byamugisha was seen lying on top of the victim and placing her hand on his neck before being pulled off by Rashad

Byamugisha’s former co-workers told Local 10 News they found it hard to believe she was involved in the incident.

She spent her school years and career in health care and public service, first at the State Health Department, where she worked in AIDS and HIV prevention, and most recently at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on an IT project in Atlanta.

According to Byamugisha’s arrest report, she faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Byamugisha remained in jail Tuesday after Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer set her total bond at $7,000.

Glazer also ordered Byamugisha to stay away from Diaz and gave him advice before ending the hearing.

“If you’re driving in the future and you ever get into a car accident, it’s probably best to just call the police and stay in your vehicle so you don’t have to go to criminal court,” Glazer said.

Jail records show Byamugisha has not posted bond and was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Tuesday evening.