Is it open season again so soon?
“Road rage incidents are on the rise nationally and right here in San Diego, according to the California Highway Patrol,” reports NBC 7 San Diego:
“Somebody who is driving aggressively is driving in and out of traffic, slamming on brakes, making unsafe lane changes, following too closely, that type of stuff,” CHP Sgt. Brian Pennings said. “It escalates into offending or upsetting another driver.”
Offending someone else isn’t always intentional, but once it happens, road rage is a common response.
This can and has escalated into the road rager threatening gun violence. In recent months, the San Diego City Attorney has secured five road-rage-related gun violence restraining orders for alleged road rage drivers. These civil orders stop someone from buying, possessing or using a gun and can stay in effect for up to five years.
Sgt. Pennings has seen his share of road rage incidents, including one that turned deadly for a driver at a stop light.
“He looked over and there was a driver of the vehicle who was a female,” Pennings remembered. “She looked over at him, smiled, and he smiled back. Her boyfriend was reclined in the passenger seat. He leaned forward. He saw her engage with him with the smile, and as the light turned green, he pulled out a gun and shot and killed him.”
God Bless America. We’re insane.
These are all within the last couple of days:
Colorado: Bullet narrowly misses toddler in car seat in road rage shooting
Hawaii: Man arrested for allegedly showing gun to other drivers in road rage incident
Alabama and Florida: See Alabama man attack teens at Florida gas station in road rage incident
Arizona: Road rage shooting at Phoenix intersection leaves man hospitalized
Pennsylvania: Driver Injured in Road Rage Shooting on I-95 in South Philly
Tennessee: Jonesborough man arrested and charged in alleged road rage incident involving teenager
Wisconsin: Deadly shooting on Milwaukee highway investigated as possible road rage
Steve Martin played road rage for laughs in 1991. Thirty years later the scene feels deeply unsettling.
It’s Star Wars Day. May the Fourth be with you. You’ll need it.