California man spit on another driver. Then the real road rage began, video shows
Like so many road rage incidents, it started with a simple enough sin: One driver cut off another driver, according to a witness who taped the eye-popping road rage spectacle that followed.
The incident began when a man driving a BMW convertible got out of his car Thursday afternoon along a highway in Oceanside, Calif., and walked up to the SUV behind him to confront the driver of the SUV, video shows.
When the driver of the SUV rolls down the window, it appears that an argument begins between the two amid stopped traffic along the furthest left lane of Route 78, Fox 5 reports. But the verbal argument ends abruptly, video shows, as the convertible driver appears to spit at the SUV driver.
That’s just the beginning of the road rage, though: As soon as the convertible driver heads back to his own car, the SUV occupant puts his vehicle in drive — and plows right into the convertible in front of him, as if trying to run over the car. The SUV’s sideswiping move nearly hits the convertible driver, and leaves the SUV driver’s own vehicle tipped over on the side of the road against the median, video shows.
Video of the scene, posted to Facebook and viewed more than four million times, contains profane language.
The California Highway Patrol began investigating the incident, KGTV reports, which could lead to charges for both men.
When troopers initially arrived at the scene around 4:30 p.m., they found 23-year-old Andrew Branch, who they say was driving the Ford Explorer that had rolled over, the TV station reports.
But Branch wasn’t arrested until after authorities had seen the video later that day. Once they had, Branch was arrested on felony assault charges and booked at Vista Detention Facility, CBS 8 reports.
The convertible driver, Kevin McCall, 33, drove away before police arrived at the scene, police said. Those investigating the case caught up with him late on Thursday, though, and told KGTV that he could face misdemeanor assault charges in connection with the incident.
“Our roadways are no place for highway violence and this type of behavior,” California Highway Patrol Officer Hope Maxson told NBC San Diego.
This story was originally published February 16, 2018 at 3:11 PM with the headline "California man spit on another driver. Then the real road rage began, video shows."