Vehicle is pushed off road by truck

Published 7:00 am Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Last week a driver ran another vehicle off the road in what appears to be an act of road rage.

The woman driver reports that as she was northbound on Interstate 59 Friday, she noticed a white dually pickup truck riding close to her rear bumper. He then passed her in the right lane and used his driver’s side rear quarter panel to force her off the road.

After attempts to regain control of the vehicle failed, her vehicle left the road and flipped several times before the coming to rest in an embankment holding a small amount of water.

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Fortunately she and her 14-month-old child escaped the incident unharmed, but what if they hadn’t?

The victim and several witnesses who saw the incident occur noted that the other driver’s actions appeared to be intentional. He was even seen making obscene gestures as he passed and did not stop to render assistance after her vehicle flipped several times.

There is no justifiable reason to intentionally cause another vehicle to leave the road, no matter the perceived slight. The only time a vehicle should be forced off the road is when law enforcement needs to end a high-speed chase. Even then, officers are trained to know how and when to use this tactic effectively.

Accidents occur every day, at times leading to the loss of life and property, so there is no need to cause one intentionally.

I hope the driver of this vehicle is found and charged with whatever charges the law deems appropriate. So, if anyone sees a white dually pickup truck with damage to the rear driver’s side quarter panel or wheel well, feel free to share that information with local law enforcement.