A Tuesday afternoon dispute between two drivers on Interstate 64 ended in gunfire, and now an O’Fallon, Missouri, man is facing serious charges.
Robert R. Farek, 48, was formally charged Wednesday with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the death of 35-year-old Luke Sherman, also of O’Fallon. He’s being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
Farek works as a public works superintendent for the City of Ballwin and has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues.
Both Cars Were Going After Each Other
Court documents lay out a chaotic scene that started well before the shooting itself. Investigators say the trouble began when Farek, driving a silver 2007 Toyota Prius, used the shoulder to pass Sherman’s dark gray 2019 Chevrolet Equinox, then cut in front and braked hard. About a half mile later, Sherman did the same thing back to Farek.
A coworker riding along with Sherman told police the tension kept building as the vehicles approached the Winghaven Boulevard exit. Key details from that account:
- Both cars pulled off onto the exit ramp and stopped
- Sherman got out of his SUV and ran toward Farek’s driver’s side door
- The witness heard roughly four gunshots moments later
- No weapon was ever found on Sherman or his passenger
- A .40-caliber handgun was recovered from inside Farek’s car
Farek stayed in his vehicle until Sherman collapsed, then stepped out, touched Sherman’s chest, and dialed 911. On that call, he said someone had attacked him and that he’d shot the person. At the scene, he told an officer that Sherman had punched him through the window and that his face hurt.
An autopsy later showed Sherman was struck by a single bullet, not multiple shots as police first reported. The exam also found no gunpowder residue on the wound, meaning the shot likely wasn’t fired at close range.
He Was Trying to Do Better
Friends are struggling to process the loss. Benjamin McGhee, who knew Sherman for six years through the Wentzville Flea Market’s Indian artifact shows, described him as an easygoing “rock hound” who’d recently turned his life around after some hard years, especially after becoming a father.
McGhee said he hopes people take something away from the tragedy: that road rage isn’t worth it and drivers should let police handle conflicts on the road instead of confronting each other directly.
Police say license plate readers show Farek regularly traveled a different route on weekday afternoons, and Tuesday was the only time in the past month his car had been picked up in the Winghaven corridor.
Detectives are still trying to track down other motorists who were on westbound I-64 near Highway K between 3:50 and 4 p.m. that day, especially anyone with dashcam footage or who saw either vehicle driving erratically. Anyone with information is asked to contact the O’Fallon Police Department.
