As Temperatures Go Up in Florida, So Does Road Rage

A recent national television report asserted that road-rage incidents are becoming more common and more deadly, with the latest incident taking place in Pennsylvania, in which a man is alleged to have shot and killed a teenage girl during a traffic merge.  Click to watch level-headed advice from your Independent Program Attorney about what to do—and what not to do—in these situations.

 

Transcript:

The number one thing members call the Emergency Hotline for are road-rage incidents. Often times, no weapons are drawn, but our members want to know if they should call the police anyway. In many cases unfortunately, the first person to call the police is the one the officers believe. Waiting to see if the other side calls the police can often be detrimental to you.

That no weapons are displayed, whether you decide to report the incident to the police is up to you. However, if a weapon is drawn, even in self-defense, being the party that calls 9-1-1 could make a difference to who is arrested, and who gets to go home. If you are forced to display your weapon in self defense, call the 9-1-1 operator and let them know you’ve been a victim of a road-rage incident. Ask that the police be dispatched, so you can make a report.

If safe to do so, secure your weapon prior to the arrival of the police, then call your independent U.S. Law Shield attorney for advice on what to say when the police arrive. If the other party calls the police and tells them that you pulled your gun on them and even pointed at them, expect the police to arrive and aggressively remove you from the area of the firearm. In many cases, they will not even ask you what happened, but will instead arrest you based only on the claims of the other party. Do not argue. The side of the road is not the place.

Be cooperative, but do not answer the questions from the officers until you have spoken with your attorney. If it has been reported that you pulled a gun on another driver, the police can arrest and, incident to arrest, inventory search your vehicle without a warrant. If they find a gun, after another has accused you of pulling a gun on them, the police will believe that it happened. You could be charged with a variety of crimes, including improper exhibition of firearm, a misdemeanor, and/or aggravated assault, a felony among other crimes.

If you are ever in a road-rage incident, just remember we are here to help. Let the officers know you are willing to cooperate with their investigation AFTER you’ve spoken to your lawyer, then give us a call.

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