AUSTIN (KXAN) — After multiple reports of aggressive driving leading to accidents, both the Austin Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed that road rage is on the rise in Austin.
“With increased traffic, we are seeing more incidents of people being more aggressive on the road,” Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Deon Cockrell said.
APD released a video Monday of a driver who nearly killed someone on MoPac during a fit of road rage. APD said the driver of a white Lexus IS 300, “drove recklessly to cause a confrontation with other drivers” before swerving across lanes and onto the exit ramp for U.S. Highway 183, slamming into a Dodge pickup and causing severe injuries to the other driver.
The incident happened in March, and APD is still looking for that driver.
Austin resident Jerry Wiggins was a victim of a road rage incident while driving on Interstate 35 last month.
“The driver decided to go by me and I thought he was going to pass me,” Wiggins said. “Instead of passing me, he takes the front of his car and he rams it into the back right rear of my car.”
He then called the cops, as the man attempted to flee the scene before eventually being ticketed for reckless driving.
Yet, Wiggins believes that these types of dangerous drivers need to be removed from the roads.
“I want to see the police department and district attorney’s office move forward and try to get these people off of the streets,” he said. “One day it may not be me, then who will be the next victim?”
On Saturday in Georgetown, a man said someone shot at his son while driving his two young grandchildren in the backseat.
“He pulled up next to him, put his window down and pointed a gun and shot,” Sean said. “The bullet actually went through the passenger side rear door, right basically where my two-year-old grandson was.”
Luckily, nobody was hurt. The Georgetown Police Department is investigating the incident.
Sean said his son is still shaken up from the incident, and his 8-year-old granddaughter doesn’t want to drive in the car — with a bullet hole — anymore.
“It’s a powerful reminder for myself in traffic that if somebody is driving aggressively, I just need to ignore it,” Sean said.
The Texas Department of Public Safety says that’s good advice to drive by.
Sgt. Cockrell is also offering this warning to those attempting to cause chaos on the road.
“If you do cause a crash and are driving aggressively or recklessly, it could result in serious fines or even serving jail time,” he concluded.
When it comes to road rage reports, DPS advises people to try and write down the make, model and license plate before dialing 911.
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