Road Rage and Guns Quickly Become a Deadly Mix

An Aol Autos article by Pete Bigelow looks at how Road Rage and Guns Quickly Become a Deadly Mix.
The article notes:

Pinpointing exactly how often guns are used to settle road-rage disputes is a difficult proposition. The NHTSA and the Dept. of Transportation do not keep track of road-rage incidents, gun or otherwise.

In a study, the AAA Foundation analyzed police reports of more than 10,000 road-rage incidents committed over a seven-year period and found they resulted in at least 12,610 injury cases and 218 murders.

Although it may be hard to quantify, traffic experts and regular drivers alike agree that road rage is getting worse.

The article concludes with the advice "do not retaliate against a road-rage instigator. You have no idea whether the person has a weapon. Be smart. Try to leave the area of the instigator as quickly and safely as possible. Call 911 as fast as possible."

Woman curses another driver for Obama sticker, then flashes handgun

Two women were driving near Cookville, Tennessee. According to one of the women, a 75-year-old woman from Baxter, she was driving when the other female driver (who was later determined to be a 56-year-old woman from Cookeville) "cursed her because she had an Obama sticker in her rear window."
The woman followed the car and when the two were stopped at a red light they began arguing. The Cookeville woman then "held up a handgun that was in a brown holster and told the Baxter woman to not 'mess with her' or she'd shoot her."
The two ended up in a TJ Maxx parking lot and the police were called. The police found a pistol and a concealed weapons permit in the Cookeville woman's purse. However, according to the district attorney's office even though the Cookeville woman had threatened to shoot, because she had not removed the gun from the holster the incident "did not constitute an aggravated assault."
The DA told that Baxter woman she could seek a criminal summons for a simple assault if she wanted to press charges.
Reports do not indicate if the Baxter woman intends to pursue the incident or not.

Road rage incident leaves one dead, one shot, and one injured

Three people in an SUV, two men and a three-year-old boy, were traveling on Highway 151 in San Antonio, Texas. The SUV apparently cut off a red truck traveling in the same direction.
The driver of the truck responded by pulling out a gun and shooting at the SUV.
Both vehicles then lost control and both vehicles ended up rolling over.
The driver of the truck, a man believed to be in his 40s, was killed. The passenger in the SUV was shot in the arm. All three people from the SUV were taken to the hospital. The men were in serious condition. The little boy is expected to be okay.
Under Texas law you don't need a concealed weapons permit to have a gun in your car. The gun just can't be in plain site.

Pennsylvania concealed weapons permit holder charged in road rage incident

26-year-old Travis Heebner, of Maidencreek Township, Pennsylvania, was arrested after he pointed a loaded handgun at a couple in another vehicle during a road rage incident.
According to the police report Heebner was tailgating a car driven by a 24-year-old man whose 20-year-old girlfriend was also in the car. Heebner passed the other car, then cut them off, then continued to weave in and out of traffic. When Heebner stopped at a red light the other car pulled up to try and get the license plate. The driver yelled "What's your problem" at Heebner who then pointed a handgun at them.
Police confiscated a 9mm handgun found in Heebner's car. The gun had a round in the chamber and 15 more rounds in the magazine.
Heebner, who has a concealed weapons permit, was charged with aggravated and simple assault, reckless endangerment, making terroristic threats, possessing a weapon with intent to use it criminally, and reckless driving.

16-year-old shot in road rage incident

A 16-year-old girl from Limington, Maine was returning home from a trip with three other relatives when they were involved in a road rage incident on I-495 in Merrimac, Massachusetts.
According to police, a passenger in another vehicle opened fire shortly after 12:15 p.m. on the car the girl was riding in. The girl was shot in the arm. She was taken to a local hospital where she was treated and released.
"Evidence suggests this was a road rage incident between the driver of the car the girl was in and the other car," said a state police spokesman. "We do not believe the people in the victim's car and the people in the suspect car knew each other."
Police are still searching for the suspect vehicle, a white Honda Accord. The driver of the car was described as a white woman with sunglasses and the passenger who fired the shot was described as a light-skinned black or Hispanic male with short hair.

Gun aficionado loses right to bear arms after road rage incident

63-year-old Leonard Roscitto, of Hailey, Idaho will spend 19 days in jail, pay a $1,000 fine, be on probation for three years and lose his right to bear arms after being found guilty of firing at least two shots at another motorist in a road-rage incident.
The incident took place last August when Rosicotto and John Kauder had a confrontation that started on state Highway 75. According to court documents, both men stopped their vehicles and Roscitto got out of his vehicle, pulled out a handgun and fired at least two shots in the direction of Kauder.
Roscitto apologized to the court saying, "I've never thought about doing anything like that. I would never premeditate anything like that, but it did happen. I am extremely sorry for what did happen."
Rosicotto is described as a "gun aficionado". His attorney said that losing his gun rights is the worst punishment of all for Rosicotto.

Gary, Indiana airport authority member arrested for pointing a gun during road rage incident

32-year-old Tramel Raggs, of Gary, Indiana, was arrested for allegedly pointing a loaded gun at a motorist Monday night. Raggs is a special assistant to the Lake County Commissioner and was recently appointed to the Gary International Airport Authority.
According to police, a 37-year-old man told them he was at a red light behind a Honda Accord that was blocking two lanes. The man pulled up next to the Accord and made an obscene gesture. Riggs, who was driving the Accord, then allegedly pointed a handgun at the other car and drove off.
Police stopped Riggs and found a black handgun loaded with live rounds in the vehicle.
Riggs was taken to jail and charged with pointing a loaded firearm and intimidation, both felony offenses.