A California man was arrested after police said a road rage incident escalated into him repeatedly ramming another vehicle with his car.
The Fresno Police Department said officers were dispatched to the area of North Chestnut Avenue and East Nees Avenue around 9:52 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, following a report of a road rage incident.
The victim told officers he was driving eastbound on Herndon Avenue when a vehicle driven by 53-year-old Lamar Ray Jr. moved into his lane.
The person hit slowed down but eventually ended up driving alongside Ray again. That was when police say Ray abruptly turned his vehicle toward the victim’s car, striking its front passenger-side fender.
Road Rage Escalates
The victim believed Ray was attempting to push his vehicle into the center median, according to police.
The victim slowed down and followed Ray’s vehicle from a distance. Ray eventually stopped at a red light at East Herndon Avenue and North Maple Avenue.
While the victim was on the phone with 911, he saw Ray’s vehicle begin reversing toward him.
Ray allegedly struck the front bumper of the victim’s vehicle and continued accelerating in reverse. The victim applied his brakes to keep his vehicle from moving.
According to police, Ray then put his vehicle in drive and moved forward before putting it back into reverse and striking the victim’s vehicle a second time. Ray then drove eastbound on Herndon Avenue before turning north onto North Chestnut Avenue.
Helicopter Is Called
The Fresno Police Department’s AIR1 helicopter crew located Ray’s vehicle and directed patrol officers to its location. Officers stopped the vehicle near East Nees Avenue and North Chestnut Avenue and arrested Ray.
Ray was booked into the Fresno County Jail on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, police say. An attempt to locate his booking information was unsuccessful, so additional booking details were not available.
What It Means
California law makes it a crime to assault someone with a deadly weapon or instrument other than a firearm. The statute allows for a sentence of two, three, or four years in state prison, or up to one year in county jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, depending on the circumstances.
In Ray’s case, police allege that his vehicle was repeatedly used to strike the victim’s vehicle during the road rage incident. How that charge plays out will be determined in the criminal court process. It really comes down to the facts.
Ray is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.