A look into road rage

[seamusTX]

In Oklahoma City last weekend, a 22-year-old woman driver got into an altercation with a passenger in another vehicle while moving. That vehicle overturned, resulting in the death of a baby. The 22-year-old driver was arrested. That night, someone shot at the house of the mother of the arrested driver.

http://www.kfor.com/news/local/kfor-new ... 5740.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[seamusTX]

In Camarillo, California, a motorcycle rider apparently was annoyed with a motor home that was traveling 55 MPH on U.S. Highway 101. The biker pulled in front of the motor home and slammed on his brakes.

Motorcycles have a much shorter stopping distance than motor homes.

At least it was quick and probably didn't hurt that much.

http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-b ... 2692.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[bryang]

Now that showed them!!

Smart reaaaaallllll smart!!

-geo

[seamusTX]

I feel sorry for the older guy who will probably have some kind of PTSD for the rest of his life.

Ditto train engineers when some suicide case stops his vehicle on the tracks, and cops when someone commits suicide by cop.

- Jim

[seamusTX]

Another case: Asheville, North Carolina, [July], midday -- A man was riding a bicycle with his 3-year-old son in a child seat on a busy road. A firefighter who was driving by stopped to admonish the cyclist for putting the child in danger.

The two men argued. The cyclist walked away, and the firefighter allegedly shot him. The bullet penetrated the cyclist's helmet.

Pled guilty to felony assault with a deadly weapon, sentenced to four months in prison plus 11 to 23 months of supervision. The sentence was lenient based on the defendant's previously good record.

http://www.mountainx.com/news/2009/112509buzz4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have never seen an explanation of what motivated the shooting.

Cycling enthusiasts wanted the guy hanged, drawn, quartered, and fed to coyotes.

- Jim

[seamusTX]

In Texas City Monday, a 49-year-old man and his wife were driving north on state highway 146 near loop 197 around 9 a.m. This is a limited-access 4-lane highway with around a speed limit at least 45 MPH (I'm going by memory). Their 20-year-old daughter was driving behind them in a separate vehicle.

The man noticed another man in a pickup truck "too close to his daughter's car," gesticulating and in an "agitated state."

The parent-daughter parties pulled off the road and the driver of the truck kept going.

Then the father "gave chase." The two men stopped and pulled off the road.

Now it gets weird.

The driver of the truck got out with a bowl of oatmeal in his hand. The other driver got out with a pistol. The driver of the truck threw the oatmeal at the other man and "got away."

A constable rolled up and took the pistol away from the man. The man was arrested but not charged and released the same day.

Police confirmed that the man had a concealed handgun permit.

The case will be referred to the grand jury to determine whether charges should be filed.

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/241178" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



- Jim

[thatguy]

My rule is when you strap on a side arm leave your middle finger at home.

As CHL holders we are held to a higher standard, as we should be.

[texanron]

Thansk a lot dad! You make all of us CHL'ers look bad when you pull your weapon on a guy eating his oatmeal!

[seamusTX]

Let's count the mistakes here:

1. White pickup guy is eating oatmeal while driving.
2. He gets mad at someone's driving for whatever reason on a multi-lane road where he easily could have passed.
3. Mercedes guy chases white pickup guy after white pickup guy disengaged.
4. White pickup guy stops and gets out of his vehicle. This is where white pickup guy could have called 911 and said a lunatic in a Mercedes was following him, thus ruining Mercedes guy's commute.
5. Mercedes guy gets out of his vehicle. This is where Mercedes guy could have regained the high ground by calling 911 and reporting that a lunatic armed with a biohazard was threatening him.
6. White pickup guy assaults Mercedes guy by throwing oatmeal (which at this point probably was not hot enough to cause injury).
7. Mercedes guy pulls his roscoe and gets busted.

White pickup guy may have gotten away with this escapade, unless someone caught his license plate number.

- Jim

[chasfm11]

Let's count the mistakes here:

1. White pickup guy is eating oatmeal while driving.
2. He gets mad at someone's driving for whatever reason on a multi-lane road where he easily could have passed.
3. Mercedes guy chases white pickup guy after white pickup guy disengaged.
4. White pickup guy stops and gets out of his vehicle. This is where white pickup guy could have called 911 and said a lunatic in a Mercedes was following him, thus ruining Mercedes guy's commute.
5. Mercedes guy gets out of his vehicle. This is where Mercedes guy could have regained the high ground by calling 911 and reporting that a lunatic armed with a biohazard was threatening him.
6. White pickup guy assaults Mercedes guy by throwing oatmeal (which at this point probably was not hot enough to cause injury).
7. Mercedes guy pulls his roscoe and gets busted.

White pickup guy may have gotten away with this escapade, unless someone caught his license plate number.

- Jim

In other words sanity and common sense have left the building. What is left is people behaving stupidly. What I want to know is if the producers have scheduled the reality TV series for this incident yet and whether the rumors of Charlie Sheen's return to TV will include this one.

This whole situation is way too ridiculous for any serious comments. Toxic oatmeal.... P.ull - ease.

[tbrown]

Thansk a lot dad! You make all of us CHL'ers look bad when you pull your weapon on a guy eating his oatmeal!

Especially when you
1. chase him down, probably speeding to catch up,
2. force or "encourage" him to pull over, and
3. threaten him with deadly force.

Why? For eating the wrong kind of oatmeal?

I hope they lock up crazy gun guy for aggravated assault.

[seamusTX]

Y'all are harsh. Aggravated assault is a felony.

Maybe being arrested and having to hire a lawyer will teach him to keep his cool.

No one every got where they were going faster because they shook their fist, honked their horn, waved their fingers, screamed obscenities, or drove aggressively.

- Jim

[tbrown]

Y'all are harsh. Aggravated assault is a felony.

I don't know what else to call chasing someone down and threatening them with a gun.

[seamusTX]

The problem with threatening as an element of an offense is that it requires both intent by the actor and the perception of being threatened by the victim.

In this case, white pickup guy reportedly provoked the incident by acting like a fool. Then Mercedes guy escalated it by following white pickup guy. Then white pickup guy committed an actual assault (throwing the oatmeal on Mercedes guy).

Mercedes guy likely committed a 46.035(a) violation. I don't know that anything more serious could be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

- Jim

[tbrown]

In this case, white pickup guy reportedly provoked the incident by acting like a fool.

According to who? The guy the cops saw waving a gun around. Not a credible witness to me but YMMV.