A truly bizarre road rage incident has taken place after a gray Chevrolet Silverado was seen taunting the driver of a Hyundai Elantra. What made this incident truly unusual was the fact that the Silverado driver seemed to be blowing kisses at the Elantra driver.
It isn’t clear what exactly led up to the incident. However, footage shared by the Florida Highway Patrol and reported by local news channel WFLA showed the driver of the silver pickup truck pulling alongside the Hyundai on Interstate 75 in Riverview. It was here that he was seen blowing kisses at the driver of the Hyundai.
The kisses were clearly being blown sarcastically, and the driver of the Silverado didn’t look happy about whatever had taken place. In fact, during the encounter, the Silverado moves dangerously close to the Elantra, but the situation then escalates to an entirely new level not long after.
The pickup driver seems to shout something at the driver of the Hyundai. Whoever is in the Elantra kept their windows up and tried to ignore what was happening as best they could. It was here that the situation escalated, with the Silverado driver swerving in front aggressively, jamming on the brakes, and causing a crash.
What Actually Happened in This Bizarre Incident?
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The incident has to be seen to be believed. The pickup driver is seen blowing kisses towards the driver of the Hyundai through the open window. It then proceeds to move incredibly and dangerously close to the Elantra, which, to their credit, keeps its windows closed. Other than filming the encounter, they try to ignore the Chevrolet driver’s behaviour.
It seems that the filming from the Elantra driver wasn’t well received by whoever was driving the Silverado. After this, they overtook the sedan aggressively, and then also aggressively swerved into its lane. The Silverado then appeared to brake-check the Hyundai Elantra, and it left the driver of the sedan with little time to react. The Elantra hit the back of the Silverado, the driver simply unable to stop in time.
The crash itself isn’t shown in the video, but the Florida Highway Patrol confirmed that an accident did take place. Incredibly, as reported by the police and local news channel WFLA, the driver of the Silverado fled the scene, turning it into a hit-and-run. Troopers then attended the scene of the accident on September 24th on I-75, near mile marker 254, where the Elantra driver was still standing. The Elantra was driven by a 23-year-old Apollo Beach resident, while Alberto Irizarry Rivera, 55, was identified as the Silverado driver.
Aggressive Driving Led to the Accident
The reports stated that Rivera had been driving aggressively and erratically through afternoon traffic, and this had ultimately led to the accident. Despite his pickup being hit, he decided to flee the scene of the accident and not provide any information. That turned out to be a mistake, as the Florida Highway Patrol was later able to locate and arrest him at his home that same evening.
According to WFLA, Rivera was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail, and he was charged with reckless driving causing property damage and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage. Whatever had caused Rivera to become so angry has landed him in some very hot water.