10 Crazy And Horrific Road Rage Incidents

We’ve all experienced road rage at one time or another. While most of us might yell, utter a few expletives, or give the offender our middle finger if we’re especially angry, road rage can quickly escalate from rude gestures to aggressive behavior. Sometimes, things rapidly spiral out of control, with lasting and dire consequences.

10 Wayne And John Schreiner

On August 22, 2012, 52-year-old Windsor, Ontario, resident Allen Lucier and his 82-year-old friend (who asked for his name not to be released) were out driving around. The men were on Crawford Avenue, heading onto Wyandotte Street when a red Pontiac cut them off. The 82-year-old, who was driving, honked his horn in response. Both vehicles stopped at an intersection near Tim Hortons. The Pontiac was blocking the crosswalk, where an elderly man in a wheelchair was trying to cross. The men in the Pontiac started yelling at the pedestrian. Lucier yelled back at them to leave the man alone.

At that point, the Pontiac’s passenger got out and approached Lucier, yelling and swearing at him. He came up to the window, reached in, grabbed Lucier’s coffee, and poured it all over him. Lucier got out of his friend’s minivan. He was then tackled, picked up, and thrown to the ground. After a short scuffle, Lucier was able to pin the man down. His 82-year-old friend came over to deescalate the situation, but he was hit in the head by the driver of the Pontiac. The driver and passenger began to attack Lucier, kicking him as he lay on the ground, curled up in a ball in an attempt to protect himself. The men ran back to car and fled the scene.

The attack left Lucier with a cut to his right eye and bridge of his nose, as well as scrapes on his back and elbow. His friend suffered a swollen face and deep scrapes to his elbow and knees. Acting on a tip, police were able to locate the suspects, 30-year-old Wayne Schreiner and his 21-year-old brother, John. Both were arrested and charged with two counts of assault. They were sentenced to 60 days in jail followed by two years’ probation.

9 Ryan M. Kobus

On the evening of September 12, 2015, 71-year-old Walter Young was driving on Route 122 in Barre, Massachusetts, when a truck began to tailgate him. Young, who was traveling with his wife and granddaughter, decided to pull over to allow the other vehicle to get ahead of him. Instead of passing, the driver pulled over, got out of his truck, and yanked Young from his vehicle. He then savagely beat the elderly man while his family looked on in horror. He left Young bloodied and lying on the side of the road. Young suffered serious injuries in the attack, including a brain bleed and a busted lip that required several stitches.

Police turned to the public for assistance, releasing a description of the suspect and a surveillance video which showed the victims vehicle being followed by the suspect’s green GMC truck. The video also showed a black SUV that police believed was also involved in the incident.

After the release of the video, police were contacted by the driver of the black SUV, who identified the suspect as his brother, 25-year-old Ryan M. Kobus. Based on this information, police were able to locate Kobus. Kobus stated that he acted in self-defense, saying that he was following behind his brother when Young got in front of him and purposely slowed down. He claimed he tried to pass, but Young would not let him. He said their vehicles were then pushed off the road by oncoming traffic. Kobus claimed that both men exited their vehicles and that Young hit him first.

Kobus was arrested and charged with assault and battery with serious injury on a person over 60 years old, disorderly conduct, and destruction of property over $250. Due to the vicious nature of the attack and Kobus’s lengthy criminal record, which includes 21 arrests, he was held without bail pending trial.

8 Erich Milton Nowsch Jr.

Las Vegas resident Erich Milton Nowsch Jr., 19 years old, was being terrorized by drug dealers, who had threatened to skin his cat and kill his family. He decided to start carrying a gun for protection.

On the evening of February 12, 2015, Nowsch was smoking marijuana in a park. In a nearby parking lot, Tammy Meyers was teaching her 15-year-old daughter Crystal how to drive. During the lesson, they were threatened by another driver. Meyers decided to return home. After dropping her daughter off, she told her son to get his gun. The two of them then left the residence to find the driver who had threatened Meyers and her daughter.

Nowsch, now high, was still in the park. After seeing the same vehicle drive by several times, he became paranoid, convinced it was the drug dealers who were after him. He called his friend, 27-year-old Derrick Andrews, for help. Andrews arrived at the park, picked up Nowsch, and started to leave. Meyers saw Andrews’s silver Audi and began following, thinking it was the driver who threatened her daughter. From the passenger seat, Nowsch fired several shots at Meyers. Now fearing for her safety, Meyers sped away. The two men decided to give chase, following Meyers to her home. Nowsch unloaded his weapon at Meyers, hitting her in the head. Her son Brandon returned fire, but no one was hit. Meyers, a 44-year-old mother of four, died two days later.

Nowsch was charged with murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon. Andrews was charged with murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy. Both men face the possibility of life in prison without parole, as the prosecutor decided not to seek the death penalty. Their trial is set to begin March 28, 2016.

7 Donald Ray Hayes

On June 21, 2014, Donald Ray Hayes was driving at the intersection of Taylorsville Road and the Watterson Expressway in Louisville, Kentucky, when he encountered fellow motorist, 57-year-old Danny Wilson. It’s not clear what started the altercation, but when both men turned onto the highway, they began speeding, cutting each other off, and weaving in and out of traffic, forcing several cars off the road. Both men then exited on Poplar Level Road.

Hayes followed Wilson as he pulled into a parking lot. Surveillance video shows Hayes waiting for Wilson, who had gone into a bank. Moments later, Hayes pulled up beside Wilson’s window, getting his vehicle so close that neither party could open their door. Hayes said that was when his window suddenly shattered, causing him to retrieve his gun. Seeing the weapon, Wilson started to drive away but Hayes fired a shot at the car. The bullet struck Wilson in the head, incapacitating him. His car rolled across the street and into another parking lot, where it hit several cars before it stopped. Wilson later died at the hospital. Hayes left the scene and went home, where he called 911 to report that he fired his gun but was unsure if he hit anyone.

Hayes was charged with murder and is claiming self-defense. He was released on $50,000 bond. His trial is set to begin in May 2016.

6 Donald R. Bell

On May 6, 2001, Timothy Mann, his wife Nancie, and their son Michael went out to brunch to celebrate Nancie’s birthday. They were traveling on Highway 50 in Sacramento, California, when a red pickup truck cut them off. Mann hit his brakes. The driver of the pickup (who was now in front of them) hit his as well, angering Mann, who then hit his brakes even harder in response.

Though his family begged him to leave it alone, Mann exited his vehicle to confront the other driver, Donald R. Bell, who had his 15-year-old son with him in the truck. Bell, armed with a gun, exited his vehicle. Mann walked up to Bell and punched him. Bell then shot Mann in the face at point blank range, killing him almost instantly. The shooting was witnessed by Mann’s wife and son, as well as Bell’s son.

Bell was arrested and charged with manslaughter. He was released on bond. Two weeks later, he returned to the scene of the shooting. He parked his truck at the pile of rocks that marked the spot where he shot Mann and called 911. He told the dispatcher, “My name is Donald R. Bell. I was involved in that Hazel incident that happened two weeks ago. I am going to serve justice on myself.” He then took his own life with a single gunshot to the head.

5 NYC Bikers

Alexian Lien, age 33, was out shopping with his wife and infant daughter on September 29, 2013. While they were on the Henry Hudson Parkway in New York City, they encountered a group of bikers who were participating in an annual street ride. One of bikers cut in front of Lien and slowed down, causing Lien’s Range Rover to hit the motorcycle. The bikers then surrounded Lien’s vehicle, hitting it and slashing at the tires. In his attempt to flee, Lien hit three of the bikers. The bikers gave chase, pursuing Lien through Manhattan and Washington Heights. On 178th Avenue, the Range Rover became stuck in traffic. Once again, the bikers surrounded the vehicle.

One of the bikers used his helmet to break the driver’s side window. Lien was pulled from his vehicle and savagely beaten by the gang. He was stomped, kicked, and hit with helmets. He was knocked out by the attack. When one of the bikers attempted to pull Lien’s wife from the vehicle, a spectator, Sergio Conseugra, came to her aid, pleading to the bikers to leave the family alone. The bikers fled the scene. Lien was taken to hospital, where he received stitches to his face and was treated for injuries on his hands and torso.

In total, 11 bikers either pleaded guilty or were convicted of the assault, including undercover police detective Wojciech Braszczok. Though Braszczok did not participate in the physical attack, he took part in the chase and busted the back window of Lien’s vehicle. He was fired from the NYPD and sentenced to two years in jail.

4 Darla Renee Jackson

Darla Renee Jackson, a 25-year-old San Diego resident, was driving northbound on Interstate 5 near E Street in Chula Vista on May 28, 2015, when she encountered 39-year-old Chief Petty Officer Zacharias Buob. The two became involved in a back-and-forth altercation. Jackson, who was now chasing after Buob, rammed into the back of his motorcycle, pushing the bike 90 meters (300 ft) down the highway. When Buob fell off his motorcycle, Jackson ran him over. He later died in the hospital.

A police investigation revealed that the Department Of Motor Vehicles had suspended Jackson’s license from January 2013 to January 2015, citing lack of knowledge or skill. It also came to light that Jackson had a history of aggressive behavior. In 2012, an ex-boyfriend was granted a temporary restraining order after Jackson attempted to run him over in a parking lot. Another ex filed for a restraining order after Jackson left him several threatening voice mails and climbed through his bedroom window one evening.

Jackson pleaded not guilty to murder charges. She faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted.

3 Suleiman Al-Assad

Suleiman al-Assad, son of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s cousin, was driving in the Alawite community of Latakia on August 6, 2015. He became enraged when another motorist, senior air force colonel Hassan al-Sheikh, overtook his vehicle at a crossroads. Suleiman, armed with an AK-47, exited his Hummer and approached the colonel’s car. He fired seven shots into al-Sheikh’s chest, killing him instantly.

Al-Sheikh’s brother, who was in the car when the shooting happened, demanded that justice be served. He accused the Assad regime of “providing impunity” to Suleiman. The Alawite citizens, who normally do not speak out against the ruling regime since Assad belongs to the same sect, were outraged. They held protests at al-Zarraa square, calling for Suleiman’s execution.

According to SANA, the state news agency, Suleiman was arrested on August 10 and transferred to the relevant parties. No other details have been given. Syrian state media refuses to report about the murder or the arrest of Suleiman.

2 Robert Doyle

On July 23, 2015, 51-year-old Florida resident Robert Doyle called 911 to report that another driver was attempting to run him off the road. While he was on the line with the dispatcher, Cathy Gonzalez was also calling 911 to report a motorist who was driving like an idiot. Cathy’s husband, Candelerio, who was driving, told the dispatcher that he was going to follow the other driver home. The dispatcher advised Gonzalez not to do that. Realizing he was being followed, Doyle told his dispatcher that his weapon was cocked, locked, and ready to go.

When Doyle pulled into his driveway, Gonzalez parked behind him, and both men exited their vehicles. Cathy saw the gun and begged Doyle not to shoot. Doyle shot Gonzalez once, paused, fired again, paused again, and then fired three more shots. Doyle then walked up to the vehicle, which had Candelerio’s wife, daughter, and grandson inside. He pointed his gun at the family and ordered them out of the car. He held them at gunpoint until police arrived.

Doyle was charged with second-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He is currently being held without bond.

1 Tony Torrez

Four-year-old Illiana “Lilly” Garcia is remembered by her parents as a bright, happy, beautiful little girl who was generous, always sharing her chicken nuggets. Tragically, her life was cut short on October 20, 2015.

Alan Garcia was traveling on Interstate 40 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, heading home after picking up his two children from school. When he began exiting the freeway, a red car forced him out of the lane. Frustrated, Garcia threw his hands up in the air and started yelling and swearing at the other driver. When the driver began yelling back, Garcia accelerated in an attempt to put distance between the two vehicles.

That’s when the driver of the red car fired two shots, hitting Garcia’s vehicle. Garcia’s seven-year-old son, Isaac, said that his sister was bleeding. The driver continued to pursue Garcia, firing two more shots. Garcia pulled over and began to give Lilly CPR while a bystander called 911. While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, two nurses arrived at the scene and desperately tried to save the little girl’s life. Lilly later died at the hospital.

After offering a $25,000 reward, police received an anonymous tip, which led to the arrest of 32-year-old Tony Torrez, who confessed to the murder. He was charged with murder, assault, and child abuse. Due to severity of the crime and his long arrest record, which includes child abuse, domestic violence, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, he’s being held on a $650,000 cash-only bond.

Lilly’s death has gained national attention, and the family has received an outpouring of support. A GoFundMe page was set up to help with funeral expenses. As of this writing, over $80,000 has been raised.