A man is accused of shooting at three trucks, and disabling one, in Montgomery County, Texas during a road rage incident.
The incident occurred overnight on Highway 59 near Cleveland, Texas.
The trucks were headed from Little Rock to Alvin when it happened upon a white Chevrolet pickup. The pickup driver allegedly began speeding up and slowing down so that the truck could not pass it.
According to KHOU, that’s when the pickup truck driver, Christopher Williams, allegedly fired a pistol out the window.
The trucks slowed down and backed off of the pickup and the driver called 911.
Williams then exited the highway but reentered it at the next exit and met back up with the trucks.
Williams allegedly opened fire on the trucks again. This time, the bullet struck one truck and hit the truck’s transmission, disabling the truck.
Authorities arrived at the scene. As they were taking a statement from the truck drivers, Williams drove passed the truck again, and deputies chased him down.
KHOU reports that authorities found “multiple weapons and ammo” in Williams truck.
He was arrested and taken to jail. He has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Handling a Road Rage Incident
The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has done a bit of research on the subject of dealing with road rage, and have provided some pretty valuable insight:
Back off from aggressive drivers.
It makes perfect sense that reacting aggressively to being cut off or tailgated by an erratic driver can only lead to trouble. The DMV suggests that in the event of being cut off is to remain calm, back off a little, and take a deep breath – let the aggressive drivers get past you and on their speedy way.
Don’t be an aggressive driver yourself. Habits such as tailgating, honking, light flashing, rapid lane changing, using hand gestures, or distracted driving are all characteristics of an aggressive driver. Evaluate yourself, and work to change any of these poor driving habits.
According to the DMV, you’ll also want to be sure that you’re not instigating anything out on the roadways, or practicing driving habits that could irritate other drivers. These types of behaviors include driving under the speed limit, refusing to use turning signals, slowing excessively before taking exits, failing to maintain consistent speeds, or hogging a lane.
While on the roadways, you should be considerate of the other motorists at all times, and respectful of speed limits.
If you do happen to be in a confrontational situation – resolve it quickly.
Acknowledge and apologize for any mistakes you may have made on the roadway – be sure to avoid hand gestures which could be misinterpreted as offensive, and always stay in your vehicle.
If the situation were to escalate to the point where you’re feeling threatened in an instance of road rage, protect yourself – call the police if necessary, or roll up the windows, look dead ahead, and drive yourself to the nearest police/fire station. The individual with road rage will more than likely step off, and if the harassment doesn’t stop there – you’re in the right place to have it dealt with.
Sources:
KHOU
ABC 13