It may not seem like much while your cruising down the road, but refusing to let a car pass and then cutting that driver off can have serious consequences.
This week a Salem, New Hampshire man was sentenced to no less than 4 ½ years in prison after pleading guilty to negligent homicide, second degree assault and reckless conduct.
According to The Union Leader the man wouldn’t let another car pass him while they were both driving on I-93 in October 2011. Prosecutors said that the man would speed up or slow down as the other driver would try to pass. He then cut her off as they drove through Manchester on Interstate 293.
When he cut her car off, she lost control and rolled down an embankment into the median. Both she and her passenger in the front seat were ejected from the car, but the three children in the back stayed in the car. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Her sister, the passenger, was not breathing when firefighters arrived. The sister was revived but was severely injured.
It is a privilege, not a right, to drive in NH. That privilege should be taken seriously, as it can have severe consequences.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as “the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property.” Aggressive driving is a traffic offense. Examples include speeding or driving too fast for conditions, improper lane changing, tailgating and improper passing.
Road rage is more serious than aggressive driving and is a criminal offense in some states. Defined by NHTSA as: “the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property.” Aggressive driving and road rage is on the rise and according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA) it is one, if not the top concern for many drivers today. AAA reported that, “at least 1,500 people a year are seriously injured or killed in senseless traffic disputes.”
If you are the victim of road rage, aggressive driving, or reckless conduct by another motorist and have suffered injuries, contact Tenn And Tenn, P.A. to discuss your injury case. Our automobile accident attorneys have spent the past twenty years helping injury car crash victims. Call us today on our Free Injury Helpline (603) 614-5055.