Marietta Court Sentences Road Rage Driver to 15 Years
A court in Marietta recently convicted a Kennesaw man of aggravated assault for pulling a gun in traffic, The Savannah Morning News reports. The court sentenced the man to 15 years in prison on Friday for an incident that occurred in November of 2014. The convicted man, James Matthew Colomb, was angry because another driver had cut him off in traffic. Colomb followed the other vehicle to a store, where he pointed his gun at the driver and his family and threatened them verbally before driving away.
Colomb Aimed Gun at Driver and Family
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the driver who changed lanes in front of Colomb did so “inadvertently” and did not realize he would be the victim of road rage. The driver of the other vehicle was traveling with his wife and three children. When they stopped at an eyeglasses store, Colomb aimed the gun at them and told the driver he could “wipe the smile off [his] face.” Colomb never fired the weapon, but prosecutors argued that anyone willing to pull out a gun because of an “innocent traffic maneuver” was a danger to society.
Road Rage Causes More Car Accidents Each Year
Road rage is causing more and more car accidents each year, as a report from The Washington Post explains. As of 2015, there were more than ten times as many fatal accidents due to road rage annually as there were in 2004. Commuters are the most likely drivers to report feeling uncontrollable rage toward other drivers on the road. What driving behavior is most likely to cause road rage in other drivers? Weaving between lanes and cutting people off. Other behaviors that tend to make drivers angry are speeding, tailgating and behaving in a hostile manner.
Road Rage Can Lead to Lawsuits
Road rage incidents involve drivers who react with anger toward other drivers. Often, the very behaviors they are angry about are the same kind of behaviors they themselves react with: aggressive driving behaviors like tailgating or expressions of hostility. Many of these behaviors are more likely to cause accidents and can lead to liability in a lawsuit. For example, drivers are expected to maintain a minimum distance between their own vehicle and the one in front of them, dependent on speed and road conditions. If a driver fails to maintain that minimum distance and this leads to an accident, the tailgating driver can be liable for negligence in a lawsuit.
Get Legal Help
If you or someone you know has been involved in a car accident, you need legal assistance. Reach out to a car accident lawyer at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Marietta to get the compensation you deserve.