Imagine you and your boyfriend are driving back to your apartment after spending time in a big city. Your drive is about twenty minutes to a smaller community. Out of nowhere, a guy cuts you off and you honk. You don’t know what’s going on with the driver, but your honk was the final straw.
Now, let's take you out of the driver's seat and focus on the young woman (age unknown) and her 22-year-old boyfriend. She was driving. When the pickup truck cut in front of her, she honked. [I’d like to point out that honking at someone after they’ve done something you don’t like IS you voicing your dislike of their actions—honking won’t change what the person has done. It’s an act of aggression on your part. Of course, there are times when a honk is appropriate - like when someone is backing out of a parking space and about to hit you.]
The 35-year-old man driving the truck then followed the couple to their apartment building.
When the woman stopped her car near the apartment, the driver of the truck hopped out of his vehicle and charged toward the couple’s vehicle, where he punched the woman in the face. The boyfriend ran after the truck to get the license plate number and the driver did ‘donuts’ around the boyfriend, and then, the unthinkable … according to an eyewitness, the driver of the truck purposefully ran over the boyfriend.
The boyfriend died from his injuries.
A county attorney associated with this case said,
“This defendant’s out-of-control behavior cost the life of an innocent victim. Road rage is a criminal offense that happens all too often in our state (Arizona).”
The authorities tracked down the driver of the truck and arrested him. He later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated assault. A judge sentenced him to 25 years in prison.
Here’s an interesting article from Forbes Advisor about “States with The Most Confrontational Drivers 2024.” You might think a mere honk of the horn wouldn’t be confrontational—it’s not about what you think, it’s about what the person you honk at thinks about a mere honk (as in this true crime). See where your state ranks in ‘road rage’ incidents. Forbes Advisor Article
Source: Superior Court of Arizona, County Attorney’s Office, Law & Crime
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