The Florida Highway Patrol announced the arrest of a man who brandished a handgun at another driver during a road rage incident in Sarasota.
The incident occurred at 12:53 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5 on Interstate 75 in Sarasota. The offender was a 75-year-old Georgia man who was driving his Maserati in the northbound section of I-75 near Clark Road. According to police, he became angry with another driver and pointed a gun at them.
When troopers from the FHP conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, they did indeed find a pistol: a Kimber 45. There were four passengers in the car with the driver: a man, a woman and two children. Police arrested him on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and booked him into Sarasota County Jail.
The dangers of road rage
Road rage is quite dangerous. Aggressive driving behaviors often cause accidents as they tend to involve people losing control of their emotions and making rash, unpredictable driving decisions. The behavior of enraged drivers can cause panic in other drivers, who then are forced to make split-second decisions of their own.
For this reason, drivers with road rage can be found both guilty of criminal actions and liable for auto accident injuries and vehicle damage. In fact, criminal convictions can enhance the likelihood a person will also be found liable for any resulting injuries in a civil lawsuit.
To learn more about your options if you have been a victim of an accident caused by a driver with road rage, contact an experienced Bradenton, FL personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.