YORK COUNTY, Va. — Road rage scenarios are all too common, and the outcomes can be serious.
News 3 caught up with drivers at the pump who say they've seen aggressive driving frequently.
"It's constant, every day," said Jason Hansford of Gloucester.
"Has it ever concerned you that you would be in danger because of somebody else's aggression on the roads?" asked News 3 reporter Erika Craven.
"I've had a few times where people cut me off and then laid on the horn and flipped me off and all kinds of other things because they think I'm the problem, I guess," said Hansford. "I mean, I'm never worried about it, but I am sure there are other people who would be worried about it."
Aggressive driving can escalate, as seen Wednesday in York County when two men were injured in a road rage incident. In that incident, investigators said a car followed another car to a parking lot, before a passenger in the trailing car got out, walked up to the other car and began punching the driver in the head. The driver then shot the man punching him, according to investigators.
On Friday, an update revealed the shooter legally carried his weapon and that the man who was shot is expected to survive. The sheriff's office is investigating the incident.
"All of that over the fact that someone thought they had intentionally cut them off, it makes no sense whatsoever," said Sheriff Ron Montgomery of the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office.
Montgomery told News 3 that road rage incidents are ticking up, so deputies are always on the lookout for issues. They want to deescalate situations before road ragers rack up criminal charges, or worse.
Still, he advises that if you see aggressive driving begin to escalate, call 911 and get to a safe location.
"Don't interact with them, don't encourage that behavior, and for gosh sakes, don't retaliate by doing something yourself; you're just going to escalate the situation yourself at that point," said Montgomery.
Drivers, too, hope everyone takes care on the roads.
"Just chill out. We're all going somewhere; if it takes two extra minutes, what's the big deal?" added Hansford.
Road rage can look like tailgating, yelling, honking, rude gestures or physical altercations, according to AAA. AAA reports that 80 percent of drivers admit to expressing anger or aggression behind the wheel.
