There are plenty of road rage videos that end with someone getting arrested on the spot. This one took a slightly different path after the aggressive driving was reported, but the driver still ended up facing consequences.
A New Hampshire driver was accused of aggressively tailgating another vehicle and making a series of reckless maneuvers after both cars exited the highway near Bethlehem. According to the person who shared the video online, the driver’s behavior became so dangerous that they called police, fearing someone could be seriously injured if it continued.
The Bethlehem Police Department Facebook post that details the incident says that the officer who later addressed the incident explained that the call initially had to be handed off to State Police because local officers were tied up responding to another crash near a Dollar General. By the time the driver was located, State Police had already stopped her, determined she was not under the influence, and released her because they had not yet received all of the relevant information.
The officer later tracked the driver down personally and informed her that a citation would be mailed instead. According to the officer, she was cooperative, acknowledged the situation without issue, and accepted that she would be receiving the citation, bringing an unusual road rage investigation to a relatively calm conclusion.
Dashcam Captured the Alleged Tailgating and Illegal Passing
Please give the video below just a minute to load up completely.
The video above was actually posted to a Facebook group by the woman who originally recorded it. In fact, there are two videos: one where the reckless driver can be seen tailgating the person recording and another where the driver overtakes another vehicle by driving in the oncoming traffic lane.
According to the image that was screenshot from the video taken, it doesn’t seem as though the woman who was driving cared too much about what she was doing.
Unfortunately for her, someone happened to have their camera out at the right time and was able to record the whole thing. What’s even better is that the person who recorded the whole thing was able to use it as evidence against the reckless driver.
New Evidence Led to a Citation After State Police Released the Driver
The Bethlehem Police Department happened to be working on something else at the time, and so the incident was passed on to State Police. However, the State Police didn’t know this video existed.
After the fact, the police department had time to track the driver and stop her. Apparently, she was very forthcoming, confirming that a State Police officer had stopped her and was able to prove she was not under the influence.
Because of this, the State Police sent her on her way. However, with this new evidence, the Bethlehem Police Department explained that they would be sending her a citation in the mail, which she accepted.
Commenters Debate Whether It Was Road Rage or Just Reckless Driving
Most commenters agreed that the driver’s alleged behavior was dangerous, with several saying they see similar incidents far too often on local roads. One person warned, “People are driving crazy these days… lots of anger and illegal, unsafe driving,” while another thanked the person who recorded the encounter, writing, “So glad you guys got the video proof and called it in. We’re all safer!”
Not everyone believed the incident qualified as road rage, however. One commenter argued, “I didn’t really see any raging, just somebody in a hurry,” suggesting that’s why the driver was cited for crossing the double yellow line rather than a road rage offense. Others speculated there may have been an emergency, although another reader pointed out that if there truly had been one, stopping at the nearby police station to request an escort would have been a much safer option.
Several commenters also offered advice on how to handle aggressive drivers, encouraging people to avoid escalating the situation and simply let them pass if possible. All in all, the video serves as an important reminder that reckless driving isn’t a victimless offence, and I’m glad that she was told that someone took notice.