Road rage isn’t limited to male drivers and passengers. A video gone viral recently showed a violent brawl between two women in Stockton. This violent encounter, surprisingly enough, began with just a simple fender bender in a thrift store parking lot.
The video shows one woman wearing a black sweatshirt, taking a swing at another woman wearing a green top. The first woman grabs the other by the ponytail, and pulls her roughly to the ground. After that, the woman in the green top lies on the ground with her arm apparently broken. Assault and battery cases happen fast and happen out of no where.
Assault And Battery
The woman in black sweatshirt has been identified as Vanessa Ortiz, 26. She has been arrested and charged with felony battery, and she remains in San Joaquin County jail because she is ineligible for parole. The other woman in green remains unidentified, though it was released that she is 67 years old.
However, Ortiz maintains that she was attacked first by the older woman, who allegedly snatched Ortiz’s glasses off and scratched her face. The encounter started when the two women exchanged info following the fender bender incident. A witness to the brawl, Bernardo Gonzalez, corroborates Ortiz’s story and said that the older woman was the real aggressor.
What is Road Rage?
This recent brawl is just another example of what’s popularly known as “road rage”. Road rage, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is an assault of a driver or a passenger of a vehicle against other people or property. It’s distinct from aggressive driving, as the latter is merely a traffic offense instead of a criminal charge.
Road Rage Statistics
It’s been found that over the span of 7 years, road rage incidents resulted in 12,610 injuries. These incidents also led to 218 murders.
Every demographic can demonstrate road rage behavior. However, the people who are most likely to display road rage are male teenage drivers. Among those who have been the targets of aggressive road rage behavior, 50% admit to responding with similarly aggressive behavior as well.
What Should You Do?
Driving is dangerous enough without adding the risk of road rage injury. Sooner or later, you may find yourself in a situation that can lead to road rage. Your actions may have agitated another driver or passenger on the road or some other driver’s actions may have upset you.
Regardless of whose fault it was, it is important that you don’t cause the situation to escalate by retaliating or reacting. Always practice safe driving habits, and do not seek eye contact with other drivers. Don’t flip anyone the finger, and don’t honk your horn. These actions may seem harmless to you, but you can’t be sure that they won’t lead the other driver to react more violently.
If you are charged or are involved in a road rage incident, make sure you call a San Diego Criminal Defense Attorney, for more information.
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