,
This makes him an instant target for all the whackos.
Posted on 09/21/2006 12:42:59 PM PDT by amakua
Man, 79, a victim of road rage Driver followed and then punched elderly motorist, police say Published Thu, Sep 21, 2006 ADVERTISEMENT
Links Police report of road rage incident at Sheridan Park
By BEN CRITES The Island Packet Comments (0) Add Comment BLUFFTON -- Bluffton police said one motorist on U.S. 278, apparently enraged by slow driving, followed a 79-year-old Sun City Hilton Head man into a parking lot Tuesday afternoon at Sheridan Park and punched the senior citizen in the face. Bonnie Burke, a saleswoman at Hagemeyer Electrical Supplies and Lighting Showroom in Sheridan Park, witnessed it from inside the business.
"He was out there screaming any obscenity he could at this little old man," she said. "We all know that people can get mad or frustrated, but to punch an 80-year-old man? Come on."
The victim, whose name was not released, told police he was driving less than the 45 mph speed limit in the right lane of eastbound U.S. 278 at around 1:45 p.m. when a man in a dark green van pulled up behind him and started honking his horn.
The man -- described as being around 6 feet 2 inches tall and about 200 pounds with receding sandy-blond hair and wearing a light blue shirt -- tailgated the victim to the Sheridan Park store even though the victim said the man had several chances to pass him.
Once parked, the man confronted the victim, shouted obscenities and then punched the victim in the face and pushed him to the ground. The victim's cheek was bruised and he had cuts on his elbow. He refused treatment from medics.
The suspect in Tuesday's incident was driving an older-model dark green van with windows only in the front driver's and passenger areas. Its paint job appeared to be done with spray paint.
Anyone who has information about the incident or knows the identity of the van's driver is asked to contact Det. Christian Gonzales at 706-4550 or 247-4493.
"If he's willing to do something like this to a 79-year-old man," Gonzales said, "who knows what else he'll do?"
I hope whoever finds him decks him then gives the cops an anonymous tip as to his whereabouts.
Coward. (The van driver, not you.)
Probably mainly things like kick a kitten, shove a young school girl from behind, or shake his fist at a sleeping person.
This slug needs a little 'wall to wall' therapy.
However, this lunatic should be put down for what he did.
However, I HAVE been behind old people who are driving along at the speed limit, and when I enter the road behind them, think it is CUTE to slow down to 25, on a back road where there are no opportunitites to pass.
Passive agression can be road rage as well, and in a few more miles behind the latest one of these I encountered, were the story to have come on the radio, I might possibly have been uncertain as the where to sympathize, at least at the moment.
But I've muttered more than a few choice expletives when driving behind some geezer who shouldn't be on the road. C'mon, admit it! I can't be the only one....
What a scumbag!
My first assumption was that the guy was driving slow in the left lane. If it was in the right lane, then there aren't even mitigating circumstances.
Once they catch the guy, it will be interesting to hear his story. Meanwhile, if I was him, I might invest in some yellow spray paint.
A green "shaggin' waggin" painted with a spray can has got to be easy to find. Surely we'll hear about this turd in a few days, unless he stopped off at the Home Depot and get a can of spray paint in a different color.
You're not...but I've also been behind plenty of middle aged and youthful drivers who were totally incompetent as well...but never saw another person's incompetence as grounds for following them and beating the hell out of 'em. If I had time to do that, their snail's pace was obvioiusly not an impediment to my getting to where I was going on time.
You're not, and I pass them as soon as I can.
>>C'mon, admit it! I can't be the only one....<<
You're not.
My wife and I met an old friend at a fabric store last week. She is in her late 70's and was having problems with her meds. She said she was really not feeling "all there" and kind of light headed. She was using the shopping cart as a walker. We asked her if she drove herself there. She said yes!
Yikes!
I'm 52. I'm all for getting a drivers test every five years after age 50, and every two years after age 70.
Now, the idiot was in a hurry to get around the old man and get going, but he stopped to pull into a parking lot and punch out the old man. That made a helluva lot of sense.
Must be a graduate of the No-Child-Left-Behind education system...or it took a "village" to raise him.
Okay, you aren't the only one! I typically mutter a few choice words to myself, then smile politely when I pass them. I'd be afraid to do much else, otherwise some lunatic will shoot me! :)
DWO
Driving While Old
We don't have much of a problem with it here. Around here, it is people in very large pickup trucks. They always drive below the speed limit.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.