I was heading down the highway this morning at about 9. A car in front of me had its blinker on and was slowing down for several off ramps then deciding at the last second not to get off the highway. He did it for a few miles. I found my exit. The car in front of me got off on the exit I was getting off. They violently jerked the car back on the highway then back to the offramp painted median and slowed down. That was within about 3-5 seconds. Remember, they’re done this every exit for the last few miles and keep getting right back on the highway. They slowed down and had their blinker on. After watching their erratic driving over the last several minutes prior to this swerving ordeal, it was very severe swerving. I decided to just pass them and leave them behind. I had right of way. They were in the damn median. Here’s where it escalates. The guy took insult to me not letting him over so he sped past me then locked up his brakes and sat dead still in the middle of the road in front of me for about 10 seconds while appearing to yell and gesture very forcefully at me while looking at his rear view mirror. I saw him start to get out and waited for him to get a few steps from his car to increase my chance to get away from him if he decides to pursue me. I blow past him and have called 911 and am talking to dispatch and am relaying what is going as it’s happening. He catches back up to me at a roundabout about 1/8 mile ahead. He drives over the sidewalk in the center of the roundabout passes me and stops dead in the middle of the roundabout. 911 is still in my ear. He starts to reverse toward me.I was expecting him to ram me. He stops and sits there for several seconds. I can’t reverse because traffic may come around the roundabout. Can’t go forward because the guy is blocking me. He takes off after a very tense few seconds. I give dispatch the plate number, vehicle description, driver description.

Had he advanced and I not had a way out I very likely would’ve shot this guy. I don’t think he has any idea how close he came.

My question is: since nothing was damaged and nobody was hurt, while I gave details to dispatch and what could they actually do to catch the guy? They sounded like they wanted to get him. Oh and note there was no escalation whatsoever on my part. No brake checking, no stare downs, just nothing. Tried to get away from him and he tried to trap me second time.

Also what does it sound like to you LEOs what his issue was?

High on something?

Withdrawal from not being high on something?

Any ideas about his extremely volatile behavior ?

Captain asshole day?

Dashcam. Get one.

You did everything perfectly, GJ OP.


my guess is Intoxicated.....probably blackout drunk...perhaps meth(probably booze TBH) considering his behavior.

I slow down when I see dumb shit ahead and let a buffer build between us.

He probably realized if he kept pushing things there was a good chance he would've gotten shot. Personally, I would've pursued at a safe distance, calmly relayed positions to 9-1-1, and FO'd the cops onto the scene.

Any number of different outcomes ranging from nothing to going to jail on the extreme end. If he's located and officers observe a crime or violation he could be cited or taken. If he's located and no crime is observed he'd likely be identified and FI'd then the report could go to the shift supervisor and then the CA based on whether you were willing to make a complaint and that office would decide if there's a crime with enough likelihood of conviction to proceed. If you were not harmed and no property damage occurred the incident could easily die on someone's desk. Best answer for road rage is pretty much always to do your best to avoid it, at best it's a headache for everyone. I realize sometimes you can't just disengage but it's generally the better option. On the flip side, there's often intoxication involved and helping to get them off the road is a worthy cause.

It’s hard to say what his problem is. Drugs or alcohol is a possibility but it’s also possible he was just a raging idiot. Read certain threads and posters in GD and you’ll meet a few more.

If we located him, it would be up to you. If you are willing to prosecute, I’d probably arrest him for whatever charges applied. I’m tired of assholes fucking with the general public so I arrest and tow their vehicles as often as possible.

If you didn’t want to file charges on him, if I found him we’d have a talk. If I could find things to arrest or cite him for where I didn’t need you to be a witness, I’d go that route.

I‘m seeing a steady increase in road rage. If you are incapable of driving the roadways like a mature human, I’ll do my best to remove your ability to drive on the roadways.

Road rage is irrational. Road ragers are people with poor impulse control.

People get hit on roadways all the time...

Some folks are just dicks. I've seen everything from drugs to people just out on a joy ride that don't care about anyone's safety.

Good job OP. Sounds like you did good by not getting out of your car and adding fuel to the fire. That was a close call and you kept folks from getting hurt by keeping your cool and not responding at his level.

What we don't know is what the plate showed when they ran the plate.  It's possible the vehicle was stolen, the driver had warrants....we just don't know what they had when they ran the plate.  

You did well.  I know it's hard at times but when you deal with road rage, it's best to separate yourself from the nut as soon as you can.  Don't drive home and if you're close, drive past your house.  Another option sometimes is to just drive in big "circles" in a public place....like keep driving the same roads in circles while on the phone with 911.  A road rager will usually get bored and frustrated and give up.  If you're on the interstate and the driver is in front of you, wait till the very last second and suddenly take an exit.  

You can't reason with irrationality.  I've pulled over a few road ragers.  What funny about them is I ask them why they were doing what they were doing.  Invariably, they look at me with a stupid look on their face and then tell me they don't know why they got upset.  I write them whatever tickets I can and as I release them from the scene (or release them to the jail staff), I ask them if their anger was worth it.  They always say "no".  

The strangest road rage incident I ever had was on the Baltimore Washington Parkway one night at about two am.

I was driving to our drug lab with about 100 pounds of weed in my back seat, when this Camaro comes up behind me doing a 100 or so and passes me in the left lane.   Then he jammed on the brakes and came to a complete stop.  As I passed him, he gunned it, caught me, passed me than then jammed on the brakes again.  

He did this about three times, and then the last time, he swerved at me, and I had to take the shoulder to miss him.

I was in a Mercedes 300, an undercover car at the time, but I did have a blue light, so at that point I  lit him up.   He finally pulled over, and I got out with my gun in my hand, not knowing what to expect.

It was two drunk  white college kids.  They  could barely stand.  I was trying to figure out what to do with them when a Maryland State Trooper pulled over behind us.   He locked up the driver up for DUI and passenger up for public drunkeness.

I never had to come testify so I guess they plead out.  

But, you never know, who is road raging you, or who you have picked out to road rage against.

That story did not go where I thought it was going...