Video Captures Man Clinging to Hood of SUV In Road-Rage Incident
You never know what a cellphone video camera is going to capture. On January 26, 2019 an onlooker filmed a 65-year old man named Richard Kamrowski clinging to the hood of an SUV as it was driven by 37-year-old Mark Fitzgerald at speeds of up to 70 miles an hour for three miles. The road-rage incident began after the men got into an argument over a minor side-swipe car accident on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Fitzgerald attempted to flee the scene of the accident when the argument began; Kamrowski then jumped on the hood of Fitzgerald’s SUV. According to Kamrowski, Fitzgerald drove fast and slowly, then fast again in an apparent attempt to get him to slide off the hood. It took other drivers – including one with a gun – to convince Fitzgerald to stop his vehicle. Both men were arrested by Massachusetts State Police. Fitzgerald was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, negligent driving and leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage and Kamrowski was charged with disorderly conduct. The man with the gun was not charged. Click here to see the video.
What is road rage?
Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior displayed by a driver. Common behaviors include rude gestures, verbal insults, cursing, yelling, intentionally driving in an unsafe or threatening manner, or making threats. In some situations, road rage escalates into actual altercations, tailgating, assaults, and collisions that result in injuries and even accidental deaths or murder. Road rage is an extreme version of aggressive driving.
Top 10 tips to avoid aggressive driving and road rage
- If possible, allow more time than you need to reach your destination, listen to mellow music, and make sure that your seat and clothing are comfortable. Surrender to the fact that you cannot control other people’s actions but you can control your reactions.
- Be the bigger person; always remain calm and polite, even if the other driver is not. Consciously avoid conflict; if another driver challenges you, take a deep breath and move on or out of their way.
- Be sure that you have enough room when entering traffic or changing lanes.
- Signal when turning or changing lanes.
- Don’t tailgate; keep a safe following distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you.
- Resist the urge to make aggressive hand gestures to other drivers who offend you with their driving.
- Learn to control your anger. Remember it takes two to start a fight.
- Avoid intense eye contact with the other driver.
- Call for help if the situation is escalating. It is better to call the police and keep moving than to pull over to the side of the road.
- Try to empathize with the other driver. They may be in an emergency situation, confused, or having a bad day.
Report aggressive driving
The Washington State Patrol website has information about how to report aggressive driving to the police.
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