A road-rage shooting taking place Friday evening resulted in the death of a 33-year-old man and the arrest of a 30-year-old Gainesville man.
The incident apparently started just before 3 p.m., and it appears the drivers pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant to settle the dispute.
The Gainesville man was charged with manslaughter and discharging a firearm in public from a vehicle within 1,000 feet of any person.
According to a police report, the deceased attempted to flee the scene after the gunfire and crashed into a home about a block away from the restaurant.
A child was riding in the back seat of the victim’s car during the incident and survived the shooting and subsequent crash.
The accused apparently called 911 after driving away from the scene.
Most people have experienced some form of frustration while driving at some point. Unfortunately for some, this frustration can quickly escalate into road rage, resulting in reckless, unsafe driving. Road rage happens to be a top cause of automobile accidents, and for drivers, bikers and pedestrians caught near an aggressive driver, these accidents can be deadly.
When drivers experience anger or frustration when driving, this can keep them from making safe, intelligent driving decisions, which in turn jeopardizes the safety of other motorists and passengers. Some of the dangerous signs of road rage can include:
• Tapping or bumping other vehicles, also known as tailgating
• Using excessive speeds
• Obscene gestures
• Physical threats and/or attacks
• Abruptly starting and stopping
• Throwing object at other vehicles
• Deliberately destroying other cars or property
If someone you love was killed as the result of a reckless or aggressive motorist’s actions, your family may seek monetary damages from the negligent party. The Florida Aggressive Driving Lawyers at Whittel & Melton understand that coping with a loss of a loved one can be difficult, especially when another person’s hostile behavior is to blame. While compensation cannot bring your loved one back following an accident caused by a driver experiencing road rage, it can help deter the driver from acting with intentional force in the future.
If your loved one has been wrongfully killed by a road-raged driver, contact the Florida Aggressive Driving & Wrongful Death Lawyers at Whittel & Melton online or reach us statewide and toll-free by dialing 1-866-608-5LAW (5529).