Police: Florida Woman Attacks Driver for Killing Chicken Crossing a Road

A Florida woman is accused of attacking another driver after that person ran over a chicken crossing a road in Key West, Florida, on July 9, police said.

The suspect in the case was identified as 38-year-old Cynthia Diaz Sosa who told officers with the Key West Police Department she had stopped her car on Petronia Street and was “waiting to let a chicken cross the road” when the situation grew tense, Law and Crime reported Tuesday.

The other driver apparently grew frustrated and began honking, eventually passing the suspect’s vehicle. That driver reportedly ran over the chicken and killed it.

Sosa claimed she wanted to teach that driver “a lesson” and pursued her. When she caught up to the other drive, Sosa allegedly tried to open the other driver’s door. When she finally got it open, Sosa allegedly attacked the driver and someone else in the vehicle with bear spray as the chaos unfolded.

Police later found the suspect and she was arrested on two counts of aggravated battery along with other charges.

Social media users had mixed reactions on the chicken situation, one person writing, “I don’t see an issue here, let my girl go free. And rip chicken.”

“Gotta admit, I’m kinda on the fence with this one. Which is probably where the chicken should’ve stayed,” another user commented, while someone else said, “I mean… she did right by the bird.”

Feral chickens became a common sight in Key West after settlers arrived in the 1820s, according to CBS News.

Corey Malcolm, who is the lead historian for the Florida Keys History Center, said the settlers sold the fowl to residents and years later when the Cuban migration began they brought cockfighting with them.

Additionally, people in the area were letting their chickens roam freely. In the mid 1980s, when the state banned cockfighting, roosters were cut loose, and a hurricane in 1998 pushed the chickens further throughout the island. Now, Key West is known for its chicken population.

“Mitigation has failed, and a city-employed chicken catcher in the 2000s quit after swift backlash from chicken enthusiasts,” the outlet said, noting that the flocks are also a tourist attraction.