Trigger warning: Gun violence (not graphic, all off screen)
I was on my way home from playing board games at a friend's house. It was around 11:55pm and I was a few miles from home. I was about to take the exit I take all the time when a car comes speeding up behind me and tries to whip around me on the right to get into the exit lane that I was about to get into. I'm not a slow driver. According to the dash cam I was going roughly 2-5 mph over the speed limit (which 70mph on that highway) so it's not like I was slowing anyone down.
There is an on and off-ramp in close succession at that exit so the exit lane is very short. I knew based on our speeds that I wouldn't be able to make my exit if I had to let him get around me on the right (which passing on the right is illegal, btw) so I sped up and got into the exit lane as quickly as possible so we both could exit safely. (Total interaction timestamps from 1:00 - 1:10) The other driver then honked at me like it was my fault they tried a dumb maneuver and it didn't work. We both exited and at the end of the ramp I started making my way to the right lane to turn right at the next intersection. They floored it past me going at least 10-15 mph over the speed limit and I flipped them off as they passed. I continued my typical drive home. That is, until they stopped at the intersection for the red light until I had almost completed my turn and fired into my vehicle. (approx timestamp 2:17)
The bullet entered through my rear window and exited the windshield a few inches from my head. Because the video is front-facing, it doesn't show the actual impact but you can see the flash and my windshield wipers go off immediately after because the rain sensor assumes the broken glass is rain.
It shattered my rearview mirror so completely that I had glass in my teeth and my shoe. If I hadn't turned as much or their hand had twitched a little, I wouldn't be here. If I had had a passenger in the rear seat they could have also been hit. It was all very scary.
I'm posting this in hopes that someone can potentially get the license plate information so I can get it to the police so they don't have an excuse to say 'Sorry. We can't find them because it's too blurry. Case closed." Based on the complete lack of interaction I've had with the detective assigned to my case, other stories from road rage victims in the area, and the fact that our city doesn't record traffic cam footage at all, I'm extremely concerned this a-hole is going to do this again to someone else and next time, they might not miss. This is attempted homicide for the tiniest slight/hand gesture. This person should not be on the streets. They are danger to our community.
PSA: DON'T INTERACT WITH ANYONE DRIVING RECKLESSLY IN ANY WAY! IT'S NOT WORTH YOUR LIFE OR THE LIVES OF THOSE TRAVELING WITH YOU.
21 авг 2024
