Pennsylvania State Police confirmed Sunday that the gunshot slaying of a man from Maine over the weekend was a random act of road rage.

The gunman remained at large Sunday night, and authorities asked for the public’s help in identifying the person who shot and killed 28-year-old Timothy “Asti” Davison of Poland early Saturday morning. Pennsylvania authorities also asked the FBI to help with their investigation.

“I think we can call it a road rage incident,” state Trooper Rob Hicks said in a telephone interview Sunday night. “At this point we haven’t found anything that would connect the two men.”

Hicks said that in one of several 911 emergency calls made by Davison, he told a dispatcher that he was being pursued and shot at by someone in a small pickup truck. Hicks told The Associated Press that Davison reported some sort of problem triggered the incident, such as one driver braking suddenly or cutting the other one off.

Davison’s pursuer rammed and pushed his 2001 Mitsubishi Montero off the highway. His sport utility vehicle became stuck in a snow-covered median strip on Interstate 81 in Antrim Township, about three miles from the Maryland border.

Hicks said the gunman got out of his vehicle, approached Davison’s SUV and fired “multiple shots” into the SUV. Davison died a short while later after being taken to York Hospital. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

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Hicks said no witness to the shooting had come forward as of Sunday night. He would not say how many shots were fired or what type of firearm was used.

Hicks also would not disclose details of what Davison said on the emergency calls, one of which was received by the Washington County emergency call center while Davison was still in Maryland. That call was dropped when Davison crossed into Pennsylvania. He made another 911 call, which was picked up by Pennsylvania State Police.

“We don’t want to get into those types of details yet,” Hicks said.

He said a traffic camera caught part of the road rage incident on video, but it was too dark to be useful.

“You really can’t make out much other than headlights,” he said.

Police said that based on Davison’s calls, investigators are looking for a dark-colored pickup truck, possibly a Ford Ranger, with damage to the driver’s side and front quarter panel where the vehicle rammed Davison’s SUV. Silver paint from the SUV may have been transferred to the pickup, which is believed to have headed south, Hicks said.

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He said investigators will be looking closely at bullet fragments, which may help identify the gun’s owner.

Hicks said the FBI was called in to assist with the investigation because it has more resources available than the Pennsylvania State Police.

Investigators are looking for a possible connection to another shooting involving a pickup truck Friday evening in Monaghan Township, Pa., about 30 miles from the shooting in Antrim Township, Hicks said.

Meanwhile, family members of Davison described him as a gentle person. They said they can make no sense of the tragedy.

Davison’s mother, Theresa Allocca of Poland Spring, said Sunday that she hopes his killer is found.

“I just hope this doesn’t happen to anyone else. This wasn’t just road rage. This person is obviously crazy,” Allocca said.

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She said her son’s Facebook page is filled with tributes from friends.

“Overall, the best way to describe him is a caring and very generous person whom everyone loved. He had a very positive attitude about living life in the present. He was a hard worker who would give the shirt off his back for anyone in need,” she said.

Davison’s stepfather, Scott Allocca, said: “He was outgoing and very peaceful and wanted nothing more than everyone to be at peace and the world to be at peace, and this is how it ends.”

Davison, a graduate of Poland Regional High School, was driving back from the Orlando, Fla., area, where he had visited his sister during the holidays. His father, Timothy Davison of Raymond, said his son took Interstate 81 to avoid traffic on Interstate 95.

Davison’s family said he was an outdoorsman and gifted mechanic who was rebuilding an antique vehicle.

“He loved to do things outdoors. He loved to fish and snowmobile and go four-wheeling,” said an uncle, James Allocca of Gorham.

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Davison, whose nickname, “Asti,” came from his middle name, Austin, worked at his father’s business, Engineered Construction Services in Raymond.

Theresa Allocca said her son was tall and athletic, played disc golf, and enjoyed mudding and canoeing.

He taught snowboarding at the Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry as a high school freshman and spent summers as a greenskeeper at Poland Spring Resort.

Allocca said she hadn’t heard from any case investigators Sunday.

Hicks said anyone with information about the incident or the suspect should contact Pennsylvania State Police at (717) 264-5161.

Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:dhoey@pressherald.comBeth Quimby can be contacted at 791-6363 or at: bquimby@pressherald.com


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