In Frederick County, Maryland, a man and woman in a Chrysler Sebring died last Wednesday in a car crash resulting from a road rage incident.
Maryland State Police say that according to witnesses, the driver of a green pickup truck and the man and woman in the Sebring exchanged obscene gestures on southbound I-270 (about three miles from Frederick). Following the hostile exchange, the driver of the pickup truck reportedly pulled in front of the Sebring and stepped on the brakes.
This caused the driver of the Sebring to swerve, strike the guardrail, and flip the vehicle. Both the man and woman were thrown from the vehicle. They were declared dead at the accident scene. The driver, Christian M. Luciano, and his passenger, Lindsay L. Bender, are both from Pennsylvania. Both were not wearing seatbelts.
The driver of the pickup truck, described as a white male, fled the scene of the accident.
According to an AAA Mid-Atlantic Survey, 42% of Maryland drivers who were surveyed say that they believe that aggressive drivers are the biggest danger on the roads today.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety offers a number of facts related to aggressive drivers:
*At least 1,500 men, women, and children are seriously injured or killed each year in the United States as a result of senseless traffic disputes and altercations. The incidents reported in this study are only those caught by the reporting network of Mizell & Company. Beyond question there are many more that are not reported in the media or for which the traffic altercation aspect is not mentioned.
*There are thousands of mentally and emotionally disturbed individuals on the highway. Charged with anger, fear, and personal frustration, and often impaired by alcohol or other drugs, motorists in all 50 states have murdered and maimed other motorists for seemingly trivial reasons. Explanations such as “He stole my parking space,” “She kept honking her horn,” “He wouldn’t let me pass,” and “She gave me the finger” abound in published reports.
*Without exaggeration, millions of motorists are armed with firearms, knives, clubs, and other weapons. There are more than 200 million firearms in circulation in the United States, and many motorists are carrying guns. It is also important to remember that every driver on the highway is armed with a weapon more deadly and dangerous than any firearm: a motor vehicle.
*Anyone can become an aggressive driver! People who have maimed and murdered motorists during traffic disputes have been old and young, males and females, rich and poor, well dressed and poorly dressed. They have been white, black, Asian, and Hispanic. Do not underestimate the potential for violence in any driver.
The personal injury law firm of Lebowitz and Mzhen represents people who have been the victims of the negligence—whether accidental or intentional—of others in car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, and other types of personal injury accidents. We also represent families who have lost loved ones in a personal injury accident in wrongful death claims.
Contact Lebowitz and Mzhen for more information and to schedule your free consultation.
2 die in crash on I-270 linked to road rage, Baltimore Sun, April 12, 2007
Maryland drivers’ principal worry keeps taking lives, Hometown Annapolis.com, April 13, 2007
Related Web Resource:
Prevent Road Rage, Awesome Library