One Hospitalized in Road Rage Incident

[Danney Ball]

 

One Hospitalized in Road Rage Incident

ORANGE (CNS) — A man was arrested and another was hospitalized after an apparent road-rage fight broke out today between people in a van and a car on the Chapman Avenue off-ramp of the southbound Orange (57) Freeway.

The ramp was shut down from about 10:45 a.m. to 12:10 p.m., after passengers in the van and a Toyota Camry got out of the vehicles and began fighting at the bottom of the off-ramp, said California Highway Patrol Officer Denise Quesada.

At some point on the freeway, passengers in the two vehicles had exchanged words or gestures, Quesada said, adding that the two groups apparently did not know each other.

The 28 year-old driver of the van was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and battery for allegedly attacking the 18 year-old driver of the Camry, who was taken to St. Joseph Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Quesada said.

Motorist Javier Hernandez told ABC7 he saw people from the van start hitting the victim in the Camry.

"They open the door, they hit him with the door, they kick him on the floor," Hernandez said. "This isn't right."

Witness David Alexander said he "saw the guy that was getting beat up," adding that the young man had a "bloody nose, cuts all over his face (and was) lying on the ground."

Authorities said the 10 people in the van were from out of state and were selling magazine subscriptions.

Three people were detained for questioning, but it was not immediately known if they were later arrested.

CHP Officer Jason Nicoletti told Channel 7 the problems began on the freeway "and were just verbal at that point, and then it escalated to a physical confrontation once they got off the freeway here at Chapman (Avenue)."

If a motorist runs into a problem on the road, he or she should call the highway patrol "so we can take care of the problem," Nicoletti said.

"Don't take care of problems and situations by yourself ... There's a lot of gunshots on the freeway, there's a lot of fights on the freeway. Let us come out and handle it. Don't try to take the problem into your own hands."

ABC7 reported that the driver who was arrested was overhead saying that he did try to call 911 after the alleged victim cut him off.

CHP officers said they were unaware of such a call. But if it does exist, it will be part of the investigation.