A Palmerton man has been charged with allegedly pulling a handgun while on his first date during a road rage incident.

According to the affidavit filed by officer Jonathan Roth of the Lehigh Township Police Department:

At 4:36 p.m. July 3, Lehigh Township Police were dispatched to the area of Riverview Drive and Lehigh Drive for the report of a road rage incident where a handgun was displayed.

They were given the registration and description of the vehicle which exited off the Palmerton exit.

Palmerton police were notified and stopped the vehicle at Second and Delaware.

Roth also made contact with the victims, a male and female, who said they were traveling north on Riverview Drive when a dark gray Ford Focus came up fast behind them.

The male said they slowed down hoping the car would back away since they had their children in the car, but the driver, Zachary Seiler, 22, pulled to the side of them on Riverview Drive to pass and pulled out and pointed a handgun at them.

The female said there was a woman in the passenger seat of Seiler’s vehicle, and when Seiler pointed the gun at them, she hit Seiler.

Roth had the victims follow him to the area where Palmerton police had the vehicle stopped.

Both victims said Seiler was the one who pointed the handgun at them.

Roth asked Seiler what happened, to which he said they both flipped each other off over a road rage incident.

Roth asked Seiler if he had a gun in the car and he said he did on the passenger floor. Roth seized the 9 mm Taurus handgun.

Roth then spoke to the woman in Seiler’s vehicle who said this was their first date and that the handgun was lying on the floor when she got in the car.

Both Seiler and the female denied displaying or pointing the handgun at the victims, though the female said she did hit Seiler because he flipped the victims off.

A magazine filled with 10 rounds was in the glove compartment, despite the fact Seiler doesn’t have a concealed carry permit and stated the gun is registered to him.

Upon checking Seiler’s driver’s record, he has a suspended driver’s license with a prior offense listed on May 24, 2019.

Seiler also has three disorderly conduct warrants out of Carbon County.

Seiler faces charges on two counts each of aggravated assault; terroristic threats; simple assault; recklessly endangering another person; and disorderly conduct and one count each of firearms not to be carried without a license; possessing instrument of crime with intent; and driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked.

He is currently incarcerated in the Northampton County Prison in lieu of $25,000 monetary bail. A preliminary hearing date has yet to be set.