WA Patrol: small gesture can spark road rage

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The Washington State Patrol says an aggressive driving incident that escalated to road rage shows the danger of responding to other drivers with even a small gesture of frustration.

Trooper Julie Judson said Wednesday that detectives are investigating twin brothers from Shelton and their Tacoma father for possible felony assault charges after the driver of a Honda Accord was punched in the face and had his car bashed with a club last Sunday.

Judson says the Honda driver responded with a "what are you doing?" gesture when a Chevrolet Blazer merged onto State Highway 167 near Algona, cut across all lanes and suddenly slowed. The trooper says the brothers in the Blazer then pursued the Honda.

She says another Blazer driven by the young men's father helped force the Honda onto the shoulder. Witnesses say one young man climbed onto the Honda's hood, hitting it with a club, while the other repeatedly hit the car driver in the face. The Honda driver finally managed to drive away.

Troopers took the trio into custody although the father was later released.


(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (4)


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  • hpygolkyone wrote...
    Yeeeeee Haaaaaaw!...........
    It's the wild west show from Shelton!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Realitycheck wrote...
    Punish criminals appropiatly
    And we don't have to worry about crap like this. Last time I checked, driving is a privilege. Revoke licenses for good if necessary.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • 2shbag wrote...
    driving is not a privilage!
    Driving is a responsibility. People wouldnt aquire road rage if people respected rules of the road. But here in Washington they hand out a drivers lic. to ANYONE with $50.00 therfore most people dont really understand the concept of DRIVING. Now here are a couple of starter tips for those who wish to avoid road rage. 1: use your turn signal before turning. 2: keep right except to pass. 3: keep right except to pass. 4: use your turn signal before turning.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }