VALPARAISO | A man who was clearing a drain in the roadway near his house got soaked with water when a motorist drove through a puddle and splashed him.

Police said the man became angry and threw his shovel at the car, causing $500 damage.

Police are requesting a warrant to arrest the man, a 53-year-old resident of the 500 block of Napoleon Street, on a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge.

The incident occurred at 10:45 a.m. Saturday on Napoleon Street. The driver of the car, Rachel Lucas, 25, of Valparaiso, told police she was northbound on Napoleon Street at about 30 mph when she drove past the man and the puddle, then heard what she thought was a snowball strike her vehicle.

Lucas told police she stopped in the Emerson parking lot to check for damage to her Chevrolet Impala, at which time a witness -- a motorist who had been driving two car lengths behind her -- told her the man threw his shovel, not a snowball, at her car.

Lucas saw that her car was scratched and dented, so she called police and went to talk to the man. Lucas told police the man began to yell at her and call her names, then shouted, "I'm going to put another shovel in the side of your car."

Police arrived a short time later and spoke to the suspect. He said he was using a shovel to clear the sewer drain when Lucas drove past him and a puddle at 50 mph and soaked him. He told police he then hit Lucas' car with his shovel.

The witness told police Lucas was driving at 20 mph when she soaked the man, and the man threw his shovel at Lucas' car. The witness also said someone was standing on the opposite side of the road, saw the man get soaked and "fell down laughing."