Although the devastation of a motor vehicle accident may draw stares of sympathy from passerby, a recent crash seems to have had the opposite effect.
According to Pittsburgh authorities, a recent accident between two passenger cars on a Thursday evening prompted one of the drivers to start a fist fight. The collision happened at Forbes and Murray Avenue, in front of witnesses who were dining out. According to one account, the angry driver didn’t say a word before he started beating the man.
Although neither driver suffered life-threatening injuries from the crash, the driver who was beaten may have faced more serious injuries had one of the witnesses not intervened. Her entry onto the scene apparently was enough to end the fight.
When police arrived, they arrested the angry driver. It’s unclear whether prosecutors will charge him with simple assault or other charges.
Although assault may not be a typical response from a crash victim, there may be other details that incited the man’s rage. Perhaps he noticed the other driver texting or using a cellphone behind the wheel moments before the collision. Since the crash happened in a local area near shops and restaurants, the vehicles may have been traveling at speeds slow enough to reveal such behavior to other passing drivers.
However, a personal injury attorney knows that the proper form for resolving disputes or bringing allegations of negligence is the courtroom. An attorney can help a crash victim prepare evidence that may demonstrate to a jury how another driver’s behavior was unsafe, careless or even reckless.
Source: CBS Pittsburgh, “Police: Car Accident Leads To Road Rage,” Rick Dayton, May 30, 2014