NORFOLK, Va. — Within the span of a week, two separate incidents of road rage have sent three people to the hospital with gunshot injuries. It's a trend, patrol lieutenants said they find alarming.
The first incident happened in James City County on Oct. 5, where police officers arrested Joseph Paul Adams for 24 offenses. Adams allegedly shot into a car carrying three people, and injured two.
Police said they quickly learned Adams fled the scene of the shooting and his vehicle was aboard the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry headed to Surry County. When the ferry docked, the Surry County Sheriff’s Office took Adams into custody without incident.
The second incident occurred in Chesapeake on I-664 at the Pughsville Road off-ramp, just a week later.
Details are limited, but Virginia State Police said they are currently looking for one suspect who drove a white Nissan Maxima. Investigators said this driver allegedly shot another in yet another case of road rage.
Even in the more rural parts of Virginia, patrol lieutenants said they are increasingly responding to cases of road rage.
"We recently had an incident with two drivers, where one driver actually pitted the other," said Adam Cofield, Patrol Lieutenant with Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office. "That happened about a year ago, but still it's an issue we deal with on a pretty regular basis."
Cofield said in the event of a road rage incident, there are things you can do to attempt to get yourself out of a bad situation or avoid it altogether.
If you find yourself near a violent driver throwing things, using their vehicle as a weapon, or pulling a gun, he said you should remember the following:
- Do not respond to the other driver and avoid eye contact.
- Be sure to allow enough room around your vehicle so you can escape if you need to.
- Do not get out of your vehicle.
- If necessary, call 911 for assistance or dial #77 to call Virginia State Police.
- Remember that you can only control your own behavior.
- Make sure you behave wisely and always make good judgment decisions.
Road rage has been responsible for about 300 deaths since 2013, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Cofield said if a person is following you on the road, following a road rage incident, you should pull into any government or police building parking lot and let authorities know immediately.