Police Working Road Rage Case

Back to DrDriving.org Home

Road Rage News |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Huntsville Police say a wreck on Old Madison Pike appears to be the result of road rage. The crash happened at 1:18 PM Monday. Police say two cars, a white Chevy Cavalier and green Honda were headed westbound on Old Madison Pike, when the Cavalier crashed near Research Park Boulevard. The driver of the Honda kept going -- police are now trying to find the car.

Police say the Honda has a spoiler and damage to the front end. They haven't said what kind of model type it is, and haven't released a license plate number, but continue to investigate.

The driver of the Cavalier was hurt, but will be okay. Two other trucks wrecked as they trying to avoid the crash, including a pickup truck hauling a lawnmower, and a Madison County garbage truck.

If you have any information that may help police, please call HPD's West Precinct at (256) 427-5441.

St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's deputies say a man who yelled at a passing motorist to slow down paid for it with his life Tuesday morning.

The man, whose name has not been released, was shot to death as he prepared to take his son to school. Two people were injured, including the dead man's son. Deputies say the alleged shooter is in custody. Authorities have not released his name.

The shooting happened at about 7:15 a.m. in Meraux, near New Orleans. Investigators say the man was on his front porch when a car came speeding down the street. When the man yelled at the driver to slow down, police said the driver stopped, exited his vehicle and opened fire.

The increase in the carnage on South African roads is mainly due to road rage and aggressive driving. This was revealed in a report released after a study by the Medical Research Council (MRC) in collaboration with the University of Natal Interdisciplinary Road Accident Research Centre in Durban.

The study was conducted in four of the country's provinces with the highest road fatalities, which are KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Western Cape and Eastern Cape.

Thokozani Nkomonde, one of the researchers, says more than 60% of taxi drivers admitted they were impatient, disregarded speed limits and lacked driving skills. She says drivers recommended that there should be more educational campaigns, harsher sentences for lawbreakers and an increase in the number of traffic officers.

"It's on the increase. Drivers, they reported that they're always in a hurry. They want to get to their destinations in the shortest period of time and they don't like it when something stops them, like a truck," says Nkomonde.

The sample study was taken from 250 drivers in each of the four provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Western Cape and the Eastern Cape. The researchers agree it's a small percentage to gauge public opinion.

Thokozani Mbatha, of the University of Natal Interdisciplinary Accident Research Centre, says: "Since we're not trying to make any conclusions, but only to give out an indication of how the road rage situation is out there. There is aggressive driving so with that sample we are able to get an indication of how the situation is out there."

Researchers added that they were startled to find a high percentage of drivers didn't believe drinking and driving caused accidents. The survey also showed that they lacked faith in government initiatives to stem the carnage on the country's roads.

Police are searching for two men who rammed a Nuriootpa retired couple driving on the Sturt Highway in a cold-blooded act of road rage on Tuesday. The men, one described in his early to mid 30s with a stout build and the other in his 20s, are alleged to have rammed the couple's Mitsubishi Magna with their 1973 HQ Holden at high speed.

No one was injured in the incident which occurred near Truro, but the victims were left severely shaken.

Travelling west on the highway from Blanchetown just after 4pm, the orange Holden performed a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre causing the Magna driver to reduce speed and pull over, allowing the Holden to avoid a head-on collision with a truck. The Magna driver flashed the vehicle's lights and the truck blew its horn as the Holden weaved across the road and sped toward Truro.

"I thought if I don't let him through it would be curtains for a few of us," the victim, who did not want to be named, said.

"We then saw them stopping up ahead, they looked like they were waiting for us. So we slowed down and eventually they went off ahead.

"Another vehicle went past us so we sat in behind them thinking we were safe because I had an uneasy feeling."
After travelling over Accommodation Hill, the Holden was seen parked on the roadside with its bonnet up.

"Then I looked in the rear vision mirror, where they came from I don't know. I didn't even have time to say anything.

"We were travelling about 85-90 kilometres per hour and I reckon they must have been doing at least 30 or 40 k's more than we were.

"I reckon what saved us was a front wheel drive car, just prior to them hitting us I planted my foot (on the accelerator)."

The couple pulled over and as the Holden backed away and also pulled over, before speeding past the Magna toward Truro.
Police located the Holden abandoned outside Truro.

Nuriootpa Senior Constable Michael Heuer has appealed for anyone who saw the vehicle or the two men to come forward.

"We are asking for any witnesses to the collision, anyone who may have seen the orange Holden travelling between Blanchetown and Truro, and urgently seeking assistance in identifying the two occupants," he said.

You're young, you're male, you're single and you're prone to road rage.

This is according to a road rage and aggressive driving study conducted by the Crime, Violence and Injury Lead Programme of the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Lead investigator Anash Sukhai said road rage was strongly linked to driving above the speed limit, receiving traffic fines, being involved in collisions and carrying firearms while driving.

Ninety-five percent of men aged between 18 and 25 claimed to have been the victim of at least one of these and 87 percent admitted to have behaved aggressively while driving. The answers all relate to a one-year period.

Aggressive driving behaviour included mild, non-threatening expressions of annoyance as well as anger directed at other motorists such as the use of obscene gestures.

About one-tenth of motorists acknowledged driving under the influence of alcohol and most drove while their blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit.

"Furthermore, about half of them reported becoming aggressive when they consumed alcohol and drove a vehicle," he said.

The MRC has recommended the implementation of a system of graduated driver licensing, which compels young drivers to demonstrate responsible driving behaviour before obtaining a final unrestricted licence.

If implemented such a system would provide for inexperienced drivers to be more cautious and create an opportunity to provide the necessary skills to deal with stress or anger in the traffic environment.

Sukhai said intervention strategies should include education, awareness and training.

He said larger industries such as the vehicle insurance industry should investigate the possibility of providing incentives for motorists to participate in these programmes. As a punitive or rehabilitative measure, those prosecuted for serious driver aggression should be compelled to attend such programmes.

An important challenge would be to foster a culture of responsible road users that were not only aware but realised the dangers of driver aggression. – Sapa

Memorable fights are part of NASCAR's lore, including some of sport's biggest names.

That drivers rarely fight these days in NASCAR Winston Cup racing might surprise some considering the high emotions of competitors and the pride, glory and money at stake each week.

Yet, verbal jabs often replace actual jabs now with audiences larger and drivers representing sponsors. Most times. Last week at Michigan, Jimmy Spencer punched Kurt Busch as Busch sat in his car with his helmet off. Busch might need surgery. NASCAR suspended Spencer for a week.

The incident is reminiscent of confrontations that color NASCAR's history and, some say, helped the sport grow. While there are too many stories to tell, here are some of the sport's memorable fights. And one that was avoided.

Cale Yarborough vs. Donnie and Bobby Allison, 1979: Simply known as "The Fight." This battle royal came after Yarborough and Donnie Allison wrecked each other on the final lap of the Daytona 500. As Richard Petty celebrated his victory, a fight ensued in turn 3.

Yarborough and Donnie argued before Bobby Allison stopped his car to check on his brother. Yarborough and Bobby argued. Yarborough swung his helmet and hit Bobby in the face as he sat in his car.

"I saw blood dripping down on my uniform," Allison later recounted in Ed Hinton's book "Daytona." "And I thought, if I don't take care of this right now, I'll be running from Cale Yarborough the rest of my life."

Bobby Allison hit Yarborough a couple of times in the face before Yarborough tried to kick him. Safety crews broke up the fight.

That incident helped NASCAR's popularity. A snowstorm kept most of the country home that weekend, giving CBS a large audience for its first live broadcast of the race. It was one finish many would not forget.

Tiny Lund vs. the Petty family, 1957: This incident happened at a race in Greensboro, N.C. Lund drove six races for the Pettys in 1957, and as the story goes, began to tell other competitors some of the team's secrets. That angered family patriarch Lee Petty, who confronted the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Lund.

Soon, Lee's sons, Richard and Maurice joined the fight. Then Lee's wife, Elizabeth stepped in swinging her pocketbook.

Dick Thompson, a longtime Martinsville Speedway official, says he remembers that the incident led Lund to say, "If you're going to beat the Pettys, you've got to beat them all."

Curtis Turner vs. Tiny Lund, late 1950s: This happened at Lakewood (Ga.) Speedway, recalls Humpy Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Lund was upset with Turner's driving that race. So, while Turner was in the winner's circle, Lund grabbed him and dragged Turner to a nearby lake. There, Lund repeatedly dunked Turner.

"Curtis could talk his way out of most fights," Wheeler said. "He couldn't on that one."

Bill Ingle, the crew chief for Ricky Rudd at the time, punched Ted Musgrave as Musgrave sat in his car after finishing second in the spring Martinsville race. Ingle was upset that Musgrave spun Rudd earlier in the race. Ingle hit Musgrave on the left cheek and bloodied the driver's face. NASCAR fined Ingle $250.

Waltrip was racing Speed for position when Speed blocked him and Waltrip hit the wall. After the race, Waltrip drove past Speed and cut him off on pit road. Waltrip got out, undid Speed's window net and punched Speed twice. Thing is, Speed still had his helmet on. NASCAR fined Waltrip $10,000.

Stewart's costly encounter, 2002: Tony Stewart's altercation with a photographer after last year's Brickyard 400 doesn't have the appeal of some of the sport's fights, but it remains memorable.

Stewart, upset by fading late and finishing 12th at a race he so desperately wanted to win, hit a photographer as he walked out of the garage. Stewart's sponsor fined him $50,000. NASCAR fined Stewart $10,000 and placed him on probation.

One that didn't happen: Time has obscured where and when this incident took place, but Thompson, who is putting together a book about the humorous stories in the sport, heard this from Tim Flock.

"Curtis and Bobby genuinely didn't like each other and after one race, Bobby came from behind Curtis with a two-by-four and Curtis was just washing himself off at a spigot.

"Curtis sensed that Bobby was there and turned around with a .38 pistol pointed right at his belly.

Humpy Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, is a former boxer and was the Carolinas Golden Gloves light heavyweight champion in 1956. He selects the top five fighters in NASCAR's history and explains his rankings.

1. Larry Frank - 1962 Southern 500 winner, his only NASCAR win - "He was actually a fighter."

2. Cale Yarborough - three-time series champ - "Cale was always in good shape, Cale did some amateur boxing himself. He could take good care of himself. He was one of the physically toughest guys in a race car."

3. Buddy Baker - 19 career wins - "Baker and I used to box to get him in shape. He's tough."

4. Harry Gant - 18 career wins - "Harry is a peace-loving man, but I want to tell you something, physically, he would be a handful if he got mad enough."

5. Jimmy Spencer - two career wins - "He can hold his own against anybody. He and Tiny Lund would have been a good match. I would have liked to have promoted that one."

A study by the Medical Research Council has shown that 57 of 1 006 drivers interviewed said they had been shot at or had a gun pointed at them during incidents of "road rage".

Only three admitted to doing it themselves.

Nearly 10 percent said they had been deliberately rammed or had their vehicle damaged and 20 percent confessed to thinking about physically hurting another driver.

"Most motorists (58 percent) reported that they simply ignored or controlled their emotions when they encountered such behaviour," said the report, which was released in Durban on Tuesday.

More specific (calming) measures included smoking (five percent), deep breathing - including sighing - (three percent) and prayer (two percent)."

The study was exploratory research to determine whether impressions of increasing aggression on South African roads were correct.

Researchers interviewed motorists at fuel stations in and around Durban to quantify the extent of the problem - and gave those interviewed a car air-freshener with an anti-road rage message for their time.

A quarter of those interviewed said they had experienced extreme forms of road rage over the past year. These included:

? Being shot at or having a gun pointed at their car (5,9 percent).

Unsurprisingly, far fewer people (9,8 percent) admitted perpetrating such extreme outbursts than being a victim of them (24,1 percent).

Significantly, highly aggressive behaviour such as being tailgated, being cutting off, being blocked from a lane or being followed or chased were the most common forms of road rage experienced.

This topped milder forms of aggression such as hooting or making obscene gestures.

More than 80 percent of drivers confessed to some form of aggression. The main cause of their agitation, interviewees said, was somebody cutting in front of them without signalling or cutting in front of them and then driving slowly.

South African drivers have a much higher risk of experiencing aggressive road behaviour than other countries, according to the report.

Gauteng cases

? March 2003: A road-rage incident caused three freeway collisions, one of which killed a four-year-old boy.

The drivers of a minibus taxi and a BMW - in which the boy was travelling - had an argument. The driver of the BMW stopped on the emergency lane and the two drivers started to argue.

Meanwhile, a Mercedes-Benz collided with the back of the BMW and the child was killed.

August 2002: Owen Kroeger, a 30-year-old Gauteng man, was found guilty of shooting and killing motorcyclist Morare Matekane (38) of Soweto.

He claimed Matekane had been urged by a slogan-shouting crowd to assault him and that he fired at him in self-defence.

This claim was rejected by the court. He is to be sentenced on October 8.

August 21, 2003

By Lynne Altenroxel

A worrying number of people have reported being shot at in road rage incidents.

A new study by the Medical Research Council showed that 57 of 1 006 drivers interviewed said they had been shot at or had a gun pointed at them. Only three of them admitted to perpetrating similar acts.

Nearly a tenth said a fellow road-user had deliberately collided with them or damaged their car. And one in five confessed to thinking about physically hurting another driver.

"Most motorists (58%) reported that they simply ignore or control their emotions when they encountered these behaviours," states the report, which was released in Durban yesterday.

"More specific (calming) measures include smoking (5%), using deep breaths (including sighing - 3%) and prayer (2%)."

The study is exploratory research to find out whether the impressions of increasing aggression on South African roads are correct. To quantify the extent of the problem, researchers interviewed motorists at petrol stations in and around Durban.

In return for taking part, they were given a car air-freshener with an anti-road rage message.

A quarter of those interviewed said they had experienced extreme forms of road rage over the past year. This included:

Unsurprisingly, far fewer people (9,8%) admitted to perpetrating these extreme outbursts than being a victim of them (24,1%).

Significantly, highly aggressive behaviour such as tailgating, cutting another driver off the road, preventing a driver from entering a lane, or being followed or chased was the most common form of road rage experienced.

This topped other, milder forms of driver aggression such as hooting or making obscene gestures.

More than 80% of motorists confessed to some form of aggression. The biggest cause of their agitation, interviewees said, was having a driver cutting in front of them without signalling or cutting in front of them and then driving slowly.

Compared to studies in other countries, South African drivers are at much higher risk of experiencing aggressive road behaviour.

Gauteng cases

March 2003: A road rage incident causes three pile-ups on a freeway, leaving a 4-year-old boy dead. The drivers of a minibus taxi and a BMW - in which the boy was travelling - had an argument. The driver of the BMW stopped along the emergency lane and the two motorists started arguing. A Mercedes-Benz then ploughed into the back of the BMW, killing the boy.
August 2002: Owen Kroeger,
a 30-year-old Gauteng man, is convicted for shooting and killing motorcyclist Morare Matekane (38), of Soweto. He claimed Matekane had been urged by a slogan-shouting crowd to assault him and that he fired at him in self-defence. This claim was rejected by the courts. He is to be sentenced on October 8.

Deputy makes arrest in road rage shooting

Clark County sheriff's deputies Wednesday arrested a man suspected of firing a gun at a car Friday night on state Route 4.

Jeremy P. Lucas, 24, address unknown, was arrested at Sigler and West Jefferson streets after Sgt. Roger Roberts spotted him driving a car matching the description from the road rage incident. According to a sheriff's office press release, sheriff's detectives already had identified him as the culprit in the Friday night incident.

Friday, a motorist reported to deputies that as he drove toward Springfield on Route 4, another car passed him, pulled in front of his car and slowed suddenly. The motorist said he went around the other car, which then came up alongside his vehicle. The other driver waved a small handgun around, then fired two shots at the motorist's car.

The first shot missed, but the second entered the passenger side and struck the windshield, narrowly missing the car's female passenger, Sgt. Eric Holmes said Friday night. The gunman made a U-turn at Upper Valley Pike and fled south on Route 4.

After his arrest, Lucas was searched; a loaded .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol was found in his waistband and a bag of marijuana in his pants pocket. Lucas was charged with two counts of felonious assault, having weapons under disability, theft, drug abuse and on a warrant for failure to appear. The theft charge relates to the handgun, which Lucas admitted he had stolen, Roberts said.

SAPD Wants To Increase Road Rage Patrols

Police Dept. Hopes To Purchase More Stealth Cruisers

SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Police Department hopes to increase its fleet of unmarked road rage vehicles.

SAPD officials want to add three low-profile stealth cruisers to its current fleet of six that officers use to patrol freeways in search of aggressive drivers.

The San Antonio City Council on Thursday gave the Police Department the OK to apply for a $600,000 block grant that would be used to purchase the vehicles.

"I think it does a lot for our freeway system," said City Councilman Ron Segovia, a former police officer. "It makes them a little bit safer. People are looking for that police vehicle. And this one is just an ordinary vehicle. You would never think it's a police vehicle."

Police officials said the road rage patrol issued more than 10,000 citations in 2002.

If the grant is approved, the Police Department also plans on purchasing video and audio equipment for taping felony confessions. The money would also be used to buy an infrared radar unit for the department's helicopter and 24 hand-held radar units.

Road Rage Suspects Appear In Court

Man Allegedly Terrorized Pittsburgh Streets In July

Herman Girvin and James Davies are charged with attacking people on the South Side, Uptown and in the Strip District on the same night last month.

The suspects allegedly terrorized people on the road while driving a Ford Excursion.

Girvin's attorney, Bruce Carsia, said, "There were no serious injuries or attempted to cause serious injury. There was more of a simple assault than an aggravated assault."

"I didn't see a need to hear it today. I'm content to send it downtown," Patrick Coyne, Davies' attorney, said.

In one example, police said a Ford Escort was chased off the road on the North Side. When the people got of the car, police said Davies and Girvin slammed the SUV into it.

"We don't really know what happened and we're not going to talk about it until we go to court," prosecuting attorney, Jim Ecker, said.

Davies is charged with two counts of simple assault, two counts of wreckless endangerment of another person, one count of criminal mischief, one count of wreckless driving and one count of driving while under DUI suspension.

ROAD RAGE INCIDENT LEADS TO STABBING

08/22/2003

A man is recovering after he was allegedly stabbed five times during an apparent road-rage incident.

The victim, forty-one year old Tracy Moon of Idaho Falls was returning from getting his car washed Wednesday night when police say another car ran a stop sign and Moon began chasing that vehicle in apparent road rage.

The chase ended on 9th Street and Division where police say Moon confronted two male occupants 25 year old Scott Clifford and 21 year old Erik Halpin. Witnesses say Moon began beating Clifford, and that's when Halpin started to stab Moon in the abdomen with a knife five times.

Halpin and Clifford were booked in the Bonneville County Jail and charged with aggravated battery.

Dad shot to death in freeway road rage

A motorist was shot to death Friday in an apparent case of road rage, his 3-year-old son strapped in the back seat as he and another driver dodged in and out of traffic on Interstate 10.

Mack Robert Rue, 23, of Apache Junction, apparently got embroiled in a dispute with people in another vehicle, but Phoenix police said they aren't sure what sparked it.

Shot once in the left side of the chest, Rue called police just after 10 a.m., asking for help. He had been shot west of 75th Avenue, and his green Dodge Neon rolled to a stop near 79th Avenue as he called police for help on a cellphone.

He was pronounced dead at a Phoenix hospital. His son, Mack Jr., was secured in a child seat and was not hurt.

Witnesses told police that the Dodge and a white car were seen from at least 51st Avenue, driving west, chasing each other and weaving in and out of traffic, police Detective Tony Morales said.

"This is a tragic situation that apparently escalated from a road rage to a homicide," said Morales, adding that there possibly were two assailants. It was the latest in at least a half-dozen cases this year in which Valley motorists have been killed in confrontations with other drivers.

The rash of highway deaths has spurred a warning that motorists should exercise extreme caution when confronted by aggressive drivers.

"Things can escalate into road rage, so don't make obscene hand gestures or mouth obscene words when provoked by another motorist," said Officer Steve Volden, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

"You don't know who you're dealing with."

Also, motorists should try to stay well behind aggressive drivers, giving them plenty of space, Volden said.

"It's better to be behind them, so you can keep an eye on them, than to have them behind you," he said. "If worse comes to worse, pull over and stop."

Linda Rue, the victim's stepmother, said Mack, an employee for a lighting company, lived in Apache Junction but worked in the West Valley.

Rue, a Chandler resident, believes Mack was on his way to work when he was killed. He was going to drop his son off at the West Valley home of his sister, who took care of him while his father worked, Linda said.

Police have released the boy to the sister, Rue said.

Rue said her stepson, a single parent, worked hard for a living and liked to go camping.

"He was a very good kid, very loving, and a wonderful father," the stepmother said.

Other people who have died in Valley road-rage cases this year include:

• Andrew Delarosa, 18, and Tyler Corum, 19, both of Peoria, who were killed in a June 30 rollover on Interstate 17 near Rose Garden Lane after a passenger in another car leaned out and bashed their vehicle with a baseball bat.

• Lemetri Reed, 36, of Goodyear, who was killed June 19 while driving east on Loop 101 in north Phoenix near 59th Avenue.

Her car was struck by another motorist who lost control while swerving to avoid a box that had been tossed at him by an angry motorist.

• Lynsey Chainhalt, 20, of Phoenix, who was killed June 14 after gunmen pulled alongside her car on Arizona 51 and started gesturing at her.

She was chased to a north Phoenix driveway and gunned down.

• Jesus Martinez, 19, of Phoenix, who was fatally shot Feb. 16 in the 2600 block of North 45th Avenue by another driver apparently angry over a traffic slight, police said.

Phoenix police have urged witnesses to Friday's shooting call investigators at (602) 262-6151.

Laura Camacho was a 15-year-old aspiring model when she was gunned down last year in a road-rage case involving a tossed soda can.

The Dec. 10 incident was one of 183 murders investigated by Phoenix police last year. It is one of 95 that are still unsolved.

Now her mother is doing all she can to keep her daughter's memory alive and the case from going cold.

"It's an insult that she was killed and her assassins are still free," Mercedes Cazarez said.

Friends and family will gather at 43rd Avenue and McDowell Road, the site of the murder, at 3:30 p.m. today for a memorial.

Several Hispanic television stations will cover the gathering in hopes of helping find Camacho's killer.

Phoenix police Detective Julio Caraballo of the Silent Witness program will be there, reminding people that a reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest or indictment.

"The worst thing about this murder is that is was over a soda can," he said.

The incident occurred when Laura and three friends were driving home from school. Laura was in the passenger seat when four men in a Lincoln Town Car pulled up next to her and leered.

She looked away, angering the Town Car's driver and prompting him to hurl a drink cup. The cup hit the car and its contents splattered on Laura's face, prompting her teenage friend in the back seat to fling a soda can back at the men.

A man in the back seat of the Town Car opened fire, killing Laura and injuring one of her friends. The Town Car was last seen speeding north on 43rd Avenue.

The killer is described as a Hispanic man in his 40s with short gray hair and a mustache. He was wearing a blue-and-purple flannel-type shirt. The driver is described as a tall, unshaven Hispanic man in his 20s with long, curly black hair. The yellowish-beige, late-1980s Lincoln Town Car was a 4-door with a reddish license plate.

"It destroyed our lives," said Cazarez, who is trying to raise $5,000 to add to the existing reward. "We cannot laugh anymore. All we do is work and breathe."

To report information about the assailants and be eligible for a reward, call Silent Witness at (602) 261-8600.

News4 first told you about the shooting in west Spokane Thursday night. A couple say they were driving on Indian Canyon Road at about 8pm. They tell police they passed a pickup truck that had pulled off to the side of the road. As they passed, the driver of the truck cursed at them and the next thing they know, they hear gunfire.

"I will feel more relieved if they ever find him, he could do it to anybody," said the female driver.

Police are looking for a white man in his 30s, with shoulder length dark curly hair, a mustache and a tanned complexion. His vehicle was a late 1980s or early 1990s Ford standard cab 4 x 4. It was dark blue with a maroon interior and no tailgate.

If you know anything about this incident or recognized the vehicle description call Crime Check at 456-2233.

A rider in a car that wouldn't dim its lights early Tuesday ran another vehicle off 10 Mile Road and allegedly capped the fit of road rage with gunfire, Natrona County Sheriff Mark Benton said.

None of the three victims was hurt, nor did the bullets hit the vehicle in the incident that occurred about 12:30 a.m. in the 900 block of 10 Mile Road west of Casper, Benton said Tuesday.

The victims -- two males, both age 23; and one female, age 17 -- told sheriff's deputies that they had left a track and were traveling to Casper when the driver flashed his vehicle's high and low beams to signal an oncoming car to dim its high beams, Benton said.

Instead of dimming its high beam, the driver of the oncoming car reportedly steered into the lane of the three victims and ran their vehicle off the road, Benton said.

After the oncoming car passed, the three victims turned around to chase the car to identify it and its license plate, he said.

They saw the suspect car had turned into a driveway on 10 Mile Road, Benton said.

They then saw a man who had been in the suspect car stand in the driveway, point a handgun at them, and fire four shots, Benton said.

Sheriff's deputies were able to identify the suspect car from the information supplied by the victims, and were able to find some apparent corroborating evidence, including a live round and a shell casing, he said.

Deputies identified three people who were in the suspect car -- two males, ages 25 and 26; and one female, age 23 -- and planned to interview them Tuesday, Benton said.

The suspects were staying at that residence, and two of them were from Cheyenne, he added.

Deputies later reportedly found drug paraphernalia in the suspect car, Benton said.

Baltimore Man Beaten with Bike, Police Suspect Road Rage
Baltimore - Police in Baltimore say a city man was attacked and beaten with his bicycle in what appeared to be a road-rage incident in the downtown area.

30-year-old Robert Peary of the Hampden neighborhood told police he was riding against traffic yesterday in the 500 block of North Calvert Street. That's when he exchanged words with two men in a northbound van.

According to police, one of the men got out of the van, knocked Peary down and hit him repeatedly with the bike.

Phoenix police said Saturday that there were no new leads into the shooting death of an Apache Junction man killed in an apparent road rage incident.

Mack Robert Rue, 23, was shot Friday morning on Interstate 10 near 75th Avenue. A single bullet entered the left side of his chest. His 3-year-old son, who was also in the vehicle, was unharmed.

Witnesses told police Rue's car and a white vehicle were weaving in and out of traffic in the westbound lanes from about 51st Avenue to the time Rue's vehicle came to a stop near 79th Avenue.

In Gilbert on Saturday, the family of another road rage victim raised $4,500 for medical expenses during the Ryan Jones Benefit Tournament at Kokopelli Golf Course. Jones, 22, survived a road rage attack June 14 when he and three friends were cut off by a dark blue SUV while returning from a party in Phoenix. Three men reportedly exited the vehicle and opened fire.

Jones survived a head wound. Two other passengers also sustained injuries, but the driver was killed.

Police Want To Talk To Possible Witnesses

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Park Police investigators are searching for the driver of a cream-colored Dodge Caravan who allegedly ran over another man.

Police say 40-year-old Angel Moreno was the victim. He was a passenger in a truck whose driver had some type of altercation with the driver of the Caravan.

The truck Moreno was in drove into Kenilworth Park, in Northeast Washington, and the Caravan followed. U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. Scott Fear told News4, "Angel Moreno hopped out of this vehicle, and when he jumped out of this vehicle he was down here along side of the roadway and was struck by the other vehicle, basically run over by the other vehicle, a cream-colored Caravan."

Police said the driver of the van then peeled out of the park, leaving Moreno lying in the grass. Moreno's friend, the driver of the truck then tried to keep the driver of the car from getting away.

"This truck followed him and tried to catch up with him, had an accident and came back to the park where we have this truck now," Fear said.

Moreno's family, including his young daughter came to the park to speak to police. News4 reporter Carolyn Shively reported the family wept as the coroner took away Moreno's body.

The Park was filled with people when Moreno was killed. There was also a soccer game being played, and police said they want to talk to anyone who may have videotaped that game. They say you may have videotaped a killer.

If you have any information you are urged to contact U.S. Park Police at (202) 610-8737.

Dees in road rage drama

Melbourne's team bus was caught in a road rage incident on the way to the airport after the loss to West Coast in Perth on Sunday.

The bus, caught up in heavy traffic, attempted to take a short-cut to ensure the team and officials made their flight.

But an angry driver jumped out of his car, in front of the bus. David Van Kuyl from Luxury Bus Services told Channel Seven that the driver "came running down the side of the coach and jumped in front and punched the windscreen".

Police arrived and it is believed there will be charges from the incident. The club last night confirmed what happened but was reluctant to discuss it.
The Demons were delayed for about 15 minutes, but were able to make their flight as Qantas held up the plane to ensure their return to Melbourne.

August 25, 2003

Your recent report on road rage ("SA drivers at higher risk of road rage" August 21), once again emphasised the huge stress we handle in our daily lives. This stress takes its toll in many ways.

We are physically and mentally damaged by it and our society is negatively affected as well.

This led me to think of that prayer written by Michael Leunig, the Australian newspaper cartoonist, whose daily cartoons are accompanied by a short prayer. I thought these words would be useful to all of us as we rush around, just coping:
"We pray for another way of being; another way of knowing.

Across the difficult terrain of our existence we have attempted to build a highway and in so doing have lost our footpath. God, lead us to our footpath;

Lead us there where in simplicity we may move at the speed of natural creatures and feel the earth's love beneath our feet. Lead us there where step-by-step we may feel the movement of creation in our hearts. And lead us there where side-by-side we may feel the embrace of the common soul.

Nothing can be loved at speed. God lead us to the slow path; to the joyous insights of the pilgrim; another way of knowing: another way of being."
So may it be.

An apparent case of road rage led to a wreck in Marietta that sent four people to the hospital Monday night, and police today were interviewing the driver of the second vehicle allegedly involved.

"Two vehicles were traveling down Interstate 75, and from what witnesses say, they were involved in some type of road rage incident," said Marietta police spokesman Brian Marshall. "Both vehicles attempted to exit at the North Marietta Parkway, and one of the vehicles, a Dodge Ram pickup truck, lost control, swerved and flipped over on the ramp."

Marshall said the four people inside the truck were taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital after the 9 p.m. crash, at least one with serious injuries.

"The occupants of that vehicle don't speak English and all were intoxicated, so we haven't been able to determine which of the occupants was driving, being that it overturned several times," Marshall said.

The driver of the second vehicle, a white Ford Taurus, left the scene of the accident, but was tracked down by police today. Police were interviewing that driver, but had filed no charges by late morning.

Investigators were looking into the possibility that the two vehicles were involved in a minor accident in Acworth before heading south on the interstate into Marietta.

An apparent act of road rage sent several people to the hospital when a pick-up truck flipped after trying to knock a car off the road, Marietta police said.

The ordeal started about 9 p.m. Monday on Interstate 75 southbound near Chastain Road when a GMC pick-up truck rear-ended a silver Ford Taurus.

The driver of the Taurus subsequently pulled up next to the truck, exchanging shouts and gestures with the occupants of the GMC truck for eight miles, witnesses told police.

When the Taurus exited the highway at North Marietta Parkway, the driver of the truck followed, getting beside the car and attempting to knock it off the road.

When the car stopped, the truck's driver lost control, ran off the highway, flipped, and hit a tree. The driver and three passengers were taken to Kennestone Hospital. One of the men who had been listed in critical condition has since improved to stable condition.

When the truck crashed, the driver of the Taurus fled the scene in order to call authorities.

"Because of the severity of what was going on, it scared him to death. He was scared about what happened and the guy hit him. He was trying to get to a place where he could call 9-1-1. He left the scene and went back to his sister's house and ended up calling the police from there," said Officer Jeff King with Marietta Police.

Police confirmed that all four men inside of the GMC truck were intoxicated at the time of the accident.

The truck's driver, who has not been identified, faces charges of aggressive driving, driving under the influence, wreckless driving and driving without a license.

The owner of the pick-up truck, who was a passenger at the time of the wreck, faces charges of permitting someone to drive under the influence.

The driver of the Ford Taurus will not be charged, police said.

Although the initial accident didn't require any road lanes to be closed, other drivers slowing to gawk at the accident not only slowed traffic but also caused more accidents.

"Well, we had too many people wanted to witness the aftermath of the accidents and [we] had two separate accidents occur over people rubber-necking the [pick-up truck] accident," said Marietta Police Officer Brian Marshall.

SAN JOSE (AP) - A San Jose man accused of running down a motorcycle rider and leaving him paralyzed after the two exchanged harsh words on the highway is due in court today to enter a plea.

Rodney Torres, 34, is facing charges of attempted murder and hit-and-run driving in the June 2 incident.

Police say Tom Castrillon, 38, was riding his Harley-Davidson when Torres cut him off in traffic. Castrillon yelled at Torres and then turned into a shopping mall parking lot.

Prosecutors allege Torres, a gas station attendant, followed Castrillon and slammed into him from behind when he slowed his motorcycle for a speed bump. Castrillon was hurled over the cycle's handlebars and crashed to the pavement.

Police Searching For Road Rage Suspect

Man Attacked While Calling 911

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- Police are investigating a case of road rage in the Bay Area that happened as the victim was calling for help.

The California Highway Patrol says a man was driving on Highway 101 in San Rafael early Wednesday morning when another driver became upset. The second driver allegedly followed as the first driver exited the freeway.

Investigators say the victim pulled off the road on San Pedro Ave. Two suspects approached the man's car, smashed the driver's side window and beat the driver. The CHP says the attack happened as the man was calling for help.

CHP investigators have identified one suspect but are still looking for that person and another man.

A Coshocton man who side-swiped several cars during a road rage incident on Ohio 16 in March was given suspended jail time and placed on community control, a Muskingum County Common Pleas Judge ruled Monday.

Matthew Johnson, 20, of North Whitewoman Street, was ordered to three years community control and to attend and complete a program at Coshocton Behavioral Health. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to two counts attempted felonious assault, third-degree felonies, two counts of aggravated menacing and one count of leaving the scene, first-degree misdemeanors.

Judge Mark Fleegle also ordered Johnson to complete 250 hours of public service work. Six-month suspended sentences were also imposed on the misdemeanor counts.

Johnson's charges stemmed from a road rage incident investigated by the Coshocton County Sheriff's Office and the Zanesville Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol on Ohio 16 near the Longaberger Company in Muskingum County on March 6.

Deputies located two disabled vehicles near Ohio 16, which authorities determined were struck by a road rage vehicle that had fled the scene.

Johnson was taken into custody in Coshocton on charges of hit skip/leaving the scene, reckless disregard for public safety, possession of marijuana and carrying a concealed weapon. He was later transferred to the Muskingum County Jail.

The presentence investigation report compiled by the Muskingum County Adult Probation Department said Johnson used his vehicle as a weapon and showed no genuine remorse for his actions.

The report also notes Johnson was denied entrance into the Licking-Muskingum Community-Based Correction Facility after he admitted to his psychologist that he had used drugs since he was in junior high school.

Assistant Prosecutor Jim Workman had recommended the Licking-Muskingum program as a sentencing option to help Johnson with his problems. But Fleegle chose a different route for Johnson.

"The court finds there are factors present which the court could use to go either way," Fleegle said. While prosecutors recommended treatment, the third-degree felonies carry possible five-year prison sentences. "The court will not follow the plea agreement. The court believes the defendant is amenable."

But if Johnson violates the terms of his probation, he faces a four-year prison term.

It could start with something as simple as switching lanes at the last minute to avoid missing your turn or driving too slow, but if done in front of the wrong driver the outcome can be dangerous.

With the increase in road congestion and travel time, road rage and aggressive driving are on the rise in the United States and drivers traveling in the Chillicothe area aren't as safe as they think. Ohio State Trooper Troy Sexton said a month ago he had to intervene in a road rage incident on U.S. 23 between a two drivers that could have ended deadly.

One was driving a tractor trailer and the other a mobile home valued at more than $1 million. Sexton said the driver of the tractor trailer was upset when the mobile home supposedly cut him off in traffic. He then tried several times to run the motor home of the road.

Luckily, Sexton said, he was able to defuse the situation without any accidents but the motorist were cited for the actions.

Sexton shared the story and other tips for avoiding situations like it at a meeting of the Ohio Valley Safety Council. The council meets 10 times a years and is made up of members of the Chamber of Commerce. The programs are geared toward safe practices in the workplace.

The actions of road rage and aggressive driving are seen as deliberate acts of violence and angry toward another driver for a traffic grievance. Although their is no actually law against it, Sexton said the behavior that provokes it is against the law.

"Things like waiting too late to pass, failure to use a turn signal, following to close and passing on the right are big pet peeves drivers have about other drives but they are not just pet peeves they are traffic laws that are bring violated," Sexton said.

The only way to avoid being placed in the dangerous situation is to stay calm drive with regard to other drivers, Sexton said.

It is something Rosie Daughters, manger of the Ohio Valley Safety Council, said she will try to do in the future.

"I will definitely walked away from here being more courteous to other drivers. So in turn they will extend that courtesy to me."

Drivers may think road rage is isolated to raising their middle finger or screaming insults out of windows but statistics complied by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety tell a different story.

In the last six years, there were at least 10,037 incidents of aggressive driving in the United States. As a result at least 218 men, women, and children were murdered and 12,610 people injured. The 12,610 injuries include scores of cases in which people suffered paralysis, brain damage, amputation, and other seriously disabling injuries.

Two men face charges in an I-75 road rage incident in which a pick-up truck crashed while trying to knock a car off the road, Marietta police said.

A rear-end collision about 8:30 p.m. Monday on I-75 southbound near Chastain Road set off a running altercation, said Officer Jeff King.

It began when a red GMC 1500 pick-up truck rear-ended a silver Ford Taurus, King said. The driver of the Taurus then pulled up next to the truck, exchanging shouts and gestures with the occupants of the GMC truck for eight miles, according to witnesses.

When the Taurus exited the highway at North Marietta Parkway, the driver of the truck followed, King said. The truck's driver lost control as he attempted to knock the Taurus off the road, running off the highway and flipping before hitting a tree, King said.

"He was trying to get to a place where he could call 911," King said. "He left the scene and went back to his sister's house and ended up calling the police from there."

The truck's driver and three passengers were taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital. The driver improved to stable condition by Tuesday afternoon, King said.

All four men inside of the truck were intoxicated at the time of the accident, King said. The truck's driver, Juan Fernando-Romo Zarate, 21, of Marietta, faces charges of aggressive driving, driving under the influence, reckless driving and driving without a license. The owner of the pick-up truck, Marco Antonio-Cerrillo Ramerez, who was a passenger at the time of the wreck, faces charges of permitting someone to drive under the influence, King said.

The suspect in an apparent road rage incident died early Thursday morning after he lost control of his vehicle during a high-speed pursuit that reached speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Jason Andrew Oleksiak was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, on Highway 88 near Blue Sky Drive outside of Martell. The accident is still under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. An internal investigation on the part of the Amador County Sheriff’s Office (the agency that was pursuing Oleksiak) is also currently underway to make sure the pursuit was warranted.

The accident stemmed from an incident beginning at approximately 12:30 a.m. Thursday morning when Oleksiak allegedly tried to hit a pickup truck driven by David Tamayo Arreola in Martell near McDonald’s. According to information supplied by the Jackson Police Department, Arreola was driving his vehicle to Jackson when Oleksiak allegedly tried to swerve his Ford Taurus into Arreola’s truck. Arreola then sped up to prevent the accident and continued speeding to avoid being hit from behind by Oleksiak, who was tailing him.

The speeding vehicles were noticed by a Jackson Police officer when they passed him on Highway 49 in Martell, traveling approximately 70 mph. The officer pursued the vehicles and eventually caught up with Arreola at his home in Jackson. Arreola allegedly drove to his home, ran inside and asked family members for help. When four men approached Oleksiak’s vehicle armed with baseball bats and sticks he apparently turned around and left.

According to Undersheriff Karl Knobelauch, a broadcast was then put out over law enforcement radio to look for Oleksiak’s Ford Taurus. Sheriff’s deputies saw him at McDonald’s but when they attempted to block his vehicle in, Oleksiak was able to maneuver his way out of the parking lot and fled on Highway 88 toward Ione.

Knobelauch said the deputies lost sight of Oleksiak’s vehicle due to its high rate of speed. Once the deputies rounded the corner near Blue Sky Drive they saw the Taurus leaving the roadway and heading down the embankment.

“Our deputies actually stayed back a little,” Knobelauch said. “They were not willing to try to keep up with him because of the speed involved. He was about 500 yards ahead of them when he lost control.”

As for the question of high-speed pursuit policy and whether the deputies followed that policy, Knobelauch said the Amador County Sheriff’s Office is relatively conservative.

“We lean on the side of discontinuing the chase,” he said. “It is a balancing act of why the chase was started in the first place and the inherent dangers of the pursuit. Since this was a felony crime of violence, and our deputies knew he was extremely violent based on past experiences, they chose to pursue.” However, Knobelauch added that since Oleksiak was driving so fast the deputies chose to back off.

“The good news is that this happened at night, when there was less traffic,” he said. “Our deputies only passed three cars during the pursuit. They have to weigh several factors to see if the pursuit is warranted or not.”

To that end, Knobelauch said the ACSO is conducting an internal investigation to make sure the agency’s policies were followed.

Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison said no charges whatsoever would be filed against Arreola.

Road Rage Suspects Found At Local Bar

Man Attacked While Calling 911

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- The California Highway Patrol reports four people allegedly involved in a San Rafael road rage incident early Wednesday morning were later discovered in a San Anselmo bar.

According to CHP Officer John Short, the incident allegedly began about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday morning at the Central San Rafael onramp to U.S. Highway 101 when a man driving a silver Honda Prelude allegedly cut off a blue Mazda Protege.

Short said the Mazda flashed its high beams, causing the Honda to slow, and eventually both vehicles allegedly came to a complete stop on the highway, in order to exchange obscene gestures.

Eventually, Short said the San Rafael man driving alone in his Mazda called 911 as he exited the eastbound North San Pedro offramp. However, instead of waiting for officers to arrive on scene, Short said the man attempted to flee the enraged occupants of the Honda on foot.

While attempting to flee, Short said two men from the Honda assaulted him, and allegedly vandalized his Mazda with a baseball bat. Following the alleged beating, the Honda and its occupants fled the scene, Short said.

Police issued an alert for the Honda, which was answered by a San Anselmo officer who saw the occupants enter a bar. Short said officers brought the victim to the bar, where he identified a 21-year-old San Rafael resident as one of the suspects.

At this point in the investigation, CHP spokesman Julio Bandoni said nobody has yet been arrested.

Bandoni also said the victim declined treatment, though an ambulance was called to the scene of the incident for him.

Cold Springs road rage: Residents upset about road closing

BREMEN -- Some residents who live near Cold Springs schools are upset that Associate Commissioner Stanley Yarbrough has closed the road between the two schools.

School children must cross County Road 109 to get from the elementary school on one side of the road to the high school on the other. The situation has been compounded by the high school's mold problem, which has forced students and faculty into portable classrooms on both sides of the campus. High school students now stream back and forth across the road throughout the school day, changing classes, taking breaks, going to the office.

Yarbrough closed the road on the first day of school in answer to residents' expressed fears for the children's safety. He put up "Road Closed" signs, although the road is actually closed only from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. when school buses are loading and unloading.

"I sent the only equipment I had to make people aware we are going to have kids crossing at all hours of the day," he said. "I'm trying to consider the safety of these kids and work with the community so as not to inconvenience anyone. It's a county road and a main artery of the community, but that's the only alternative we have to assist with the problem."

Other county roads form a 4.5-mile loop around the dual campus and could be used as a detour, but many motorists "think it's too much out of the way," Yarbrough said. He has received several complaints about the situation.

"I take a negative complaint as a compliment, because I feel like the person with the complaint has a problem, and I want to work with them as much as I do the ones who are for closing the road," he said. "A person who disagrees with closing the road needs to think -- if they have a son or daughter or grandchild -- how would they feel if one of them got run over? If it killed them or crippled them for life, how would they feel about the road situation then? I didn't do this to inconvenience anyone. I did it for the safety of the children at Cold Springs."

In fact, a little boy was injured in a hit and run incident on campus last year, Cold Springs High School Principal Mickey Campbell said. The child stayed in intensive care at Children's Hospital in Birmingham for several days.

"Our students and our staff -- their safety is No. 1," Campbell said. "That is the reason we are in these trailers right now, because of the mold problem. And we appreciate Commissioner Yarbrough helping us to make our campus safer, especially during this time with the construction work going on."

Campbell said the "Road Closed" signs stay up all day, "and that's what is making people mad." Although Yarbrough is having signs made with the times of closing, Campbell believes the road needs to be closed throughout the school day.

"We have 900 kids, and some of them are crossing the road all day," he said. "From 10 a.m. to noon, the elementary kids are crossing almost constantly, going to and from the lunchroom."

In addition to the early morning and mid-afternoon traffic, children take breaks, change classes, go to the office and can otherwise appear unexpectedly in the roadway. Campbell said the County Commission voted to close the road between the schools in 1991, "but no one had the guts to enforce it. It's been a problem since I've been here."

Campbell said the state Department of Education had told him the road would have to be closed or the school would not get accreditation. When the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools representatives came to visit in 1999, "I had to beg them not to make it part of the accreditation," he said. The state is planning to "send someone to help us look at the situation from the standpoint of a safety issue," Campbell said. "This is not meant to inconvenience anyone, but I'd rather be inconvenienced than have a child injured anywhere on this campus."

In the meantime, Yarbrough has his own ideas about a possible solution. At his direction, County Engineer Philip Widner has priced four solar-powered flashing 5 m.p.h. signs, new traffic stripe and hash marks, the words "Slow -- School Zone" painted on each lane, two "Slow -- Children Present" signs and bypass signs around the school. The county has the resources to do the bypass signs, but the other work would have to be completed by contractors, Widner said. The cost? $9,525.

"I'm hoping I can get help from the county, the county school system and the community to fund it," Yarbrough said. "It can't be a one-person or a one-system project. One thing I learned in commissioner school is that nothing is done by one single person; it takes a team effort."

Regardless of whether the safety improvements are funded, Yarbrough said he plans to keep the road closed permanently between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Other county schools in Holly Pond and Vinemont, as well as East and West Elementary, Cullman Middle, Sacred Heart and St. Paul's schools in the city of Cullman all close roads or portions of roads to traffic during all or part of the school day.

Road rage solves construction woes

I’m wholly convinced that the entire world is under road construction right now. North, south, east, or west, it’s there! I haven’t traveled very far this summer, but no matter what direction I have gone, road construction was thriving. So much for the cruise control…

I think I speak for everyone when I say, "It’s about freaking time!" Yeah, you know what I’m talking about, Lindberg Road. I felt the effects of the bottlenecked traffic on that one. I think that my mind has been conditioned for those two colors, orange and white — so long black and gold. You know, Purdue Pete does resemble a construction worker... interesting.

After three years (almost enough for a Bachelor’s Degree and a couple of wars) Lindberg has become the epitome, in Michael’s Book o’ Epitomes, of what’s wrong with road construction. (Side note: Is a bog really the best place for a road or anything suburban project? Hmm… I may be on to something here.)

Now I know that people may be thinking they can just take advantage of the wondrous detours in order to get around the masses of orange and white playgrounds for the real-life Tonka toys, but think again. I’ve thought this too. If you think this way, you’re really setting yourself up for failure. All that happens is that the line of traffic you’re sitting in only moves five feet in five minutes. Why? Well, because there is an abundance of four-way stops embedded in the detour.

Remember Toula from My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Well her dad was gifted in deriving the meanings of words through his wealthy knowledge of etymology. If he was to apply this skill to the word "detour", I think it would go something like this: "De" is the French word for "the", and tour means "road trip". So there you have it, detour is French for "Road Trip".

Road construction has turned the placid driving experience into a blood pressure-rising catch 22. Choose to drive, and well, you already know what’s coming your way. If you choose not to drive, then you’re left with a few options: run, walk, or ride a bike. Walking five miles to class just sucks, and depending on where you live, it can be uphill both ways. Running? I’ll only revert to this if a cow starts chasing me. Biking to class is totally out of the question too. No one wants to compete in the DeTour De Lafayette just to get to class. So road construction is pretty much a nuts and bolts situation -you get screwed. Not only are you inconvenienced by the work, but you’re required by law to help fund it… great!

So when it comes down to it, we’re really faced with one realistic option: Just suck it up and take it like the big kids we are. You may say, "But Michael, what ever do you mean?" Oh, don’t be such a naïve Neddy; you know what I’m getting at. That’s right; it’s time for good old-fashioned, home-grown, from-the-bottom-of —the-heart, road rage.

Don’t be afraid to exercise your right to free speech. It’s the United States of America; preemptive is in, and tolerance is out.

It’s okay to scream and holler at the person in front of you. Although it’s not directly his fault, he has compounded the problem by being inconsiderate. How dare he travel on the same road as you? Doesn’t he know that you have somewhere to be?

I know what you’re thinking, "But Michael, what is the proper road rage etiquette? I want to be classy with my craze."

Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered too. Do I have to do everything for you people, geez. Just follow my guidelines, and you won’t go wrong.

Rule number one. Always stay in the car! Never, ever get out of the car. Many terrible possibilities lend themselves to the hands of Murphy’s Law should this happen. If you get out of your car to confront the driver of another car (while he’s still occupying his vehicle), you just might be tempted to grab his yipping little dog by the neck and throw it into oncoming traffic out of frustration (or sheer annoyance). Remember, control yourself when exercising your right to road rage — think dignity, not trashy.

Another reason to stay in your car is that it gives you the upper hand. This is crucial. Should someone get out of his car to confront you, you can run him over, speed off (or creep off), or just roll the windows up and act totally oblivious to the situation.

Two. Hand signals are welcome, but do not let these be seen. Just because the receptor of the signals didn’t see them, doesn’t mean they weren’t present. He can’t see everything that goes on in your car. Make the signal under the dashboard, in the glove box, or behind the seat if you must. But if you lose control and make the signal visible, pretend like you’re pointing at something outside the car or acting out the scene of the Beverly Hillbillies movie. Sign language works well too — even if you don’t know sign language, pretend you do.

Three. Always have music playing. That way when the person you’re yelling at see makes eye contact with you in his rearview mirror, you can play it off like you were singing along. Keep in mind that this won’t work if you try the sign language trick, unless the other person is deaf.

Lastly, get an Ichthus. That way, if you lose all self-control, you just say you’re Pentecostal. Besides, if you have an Ichthus it become legal to do some crazy mo’ fo’ drivin’.

Maybe this whole road rage thing isn’t the route to take when dealing with road construction. It just doesn’t seem comme il faut. Perhaps democracy should be given a chance to put an end to road construction. Use the system; that’s what I say (not really). That sounds pretty good! Let’s try for a recall on road construction.

Remember, help stop road construction before it stops you.

Road rage: Mizoram, HP lead in completed works
MANIKA PREMSINGH

[ THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2003 03:56:41 AM ]

Infrastructure projects generally have long gestation periods. And the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), the Centre's Rs 60,000-crore rural roads programme, is no exception. Launched in December ’00, it was not until FY03 that the programme gathered steam. The acceleration continues in the current fiscal too. Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh have completed maximum works (in value terms), considering the funds sanctioned to them. But larger states like UP, MP and AP have contributed more to the total work completed.

So far Rs 12,000 crore has been sanctioned under the scheme, which aims at providing connectivity to all rural habitations with population above 500 across the country. However, the value of works completed amounts to only 28% (or worth Rs 3,500 crore) of the sanctioned amount. This is because little progress was made during FY 01 and FY02. Only 8% of the total works completed (in value terms) took place during the period. In other words, works worth only Rs282 crore were completed during this time period.

In contrast, works worth Rs 3,260 crore were completed during FY03. The progress has continued during the current fiscal too. Works worth Rs 4,636 crore have been completed cumulatively till August ’03. This means that works valuing about Rs 1,100 crore have been completed so far during the current fiscal. Statewise data reveals that Mizoram leads the way in the total value of completed works standing (as a percentage of total sanctioned funds) at 71%. Himachal Pradesh follows with 70% and Chhattisgarh with 65%.

But, since these are smaller states, the total amount sanctioned to them is far lower in absolute terms than in some of the larger states. For instance, the sum sanctioned for Mizoram is only 3% of the sum sanctioned to UP. This means total works completed by Mizoram so far are actually less than 11% of the total works completed by UP. Therefore, considering the total value of works completed by each state as a percentage of the countrywide value of works completed may be more indicative. This shows that MP accounts for 15% of the total value of works completed. AP and UP follow at 13%.

Police Searching For Road Rage Suspect

Man Attacked While Calling 911

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- Police are investigating a case of road rage in the Bay Area that happened as the victim was calling for help.