Road rage incident is a good example of what not to do

A man got out of his car with a hammer and ran after a truck during a road rage incident. WINK News Safety and Security Specialist Rich Kolko says this is exactly what you shouldn’t do.

A construction worker in North Port, on his ride to work Tuesday morning, was in the driver’s seat for a road rage incident.

Witnesses say two drivers had cut each other off several times before arriving at the stop sign at Toledo Blade Boulevard and I-75. The man driving the Subaru evidently had enough and emerged from his car to start swinging at the other driver.

After throwing a punch, he appeared shocked when the other man got out of his truck and began to fight back. So the driver of the Subaru ran back to his car and grabbed what appeared to be a hammer.

Before he got a chance to use it, the pickup truck driver took off. North Port Police say everyone’s on edge right now.

“Unfortunately, people just lose their senses out there on the road, they’re upset. we’re seeing a lot of negativity out there just with everything going on, whether its COVID[-19] or presidential stuff,” said Josh Taylor, public information officer for the NPPD.

This scene obviously escalated quickly, but what if someone had pulled out a gun instead of a hammer?

In 2017, there were over 300 incidents in which one driver fired shots at another.

“You gotta be careful, you never know if somebody has a gun, or a weapon and again, people have the rights to protect themselves,” said Taylor.

North Port Police are currently investigating.

If someone decides to confront you on the road, avoid eye contact and don’t respond. Also, if you can drive to the nearest fire station or police station if you’re being followed.

Make sure to lock your doors, stay in the car and use the horn if necessary. And, of course, use your phone to call 911.