Rash of road rage raises concerns in Columbia County

EVANS, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Columbia County has seen a few road rage incidents in the past few days, including one that reportedly left a man with a gunshot wound.

The shooting incident reportedly happened around 4:10 p.m. Monday in the 4100 block of Columbia Road at Belair Road.

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A 22-year-old man told deputies he was traveling east on Columbia Road when he cut off a gray Chevrolet Malibu off as he was changing lanes. The Malibu pulled up beside the victim, who asked the Malibu occupants: “What? Do we have a problem?” The occupants responded by saying “I don’t know, do we?” the man told deputies.

CURBING ROAD RAGE

If another driver is acting aggressive, create a safe distance, don’t engage the other driver, and drive to a public place or the nearest police station. To prevent dangerous behaviors, avoid:

Unnecessary use of high-beam headlights.
Unnecessary use of the horn.
Using hand gestures at other drivers,
Tailgating and following too closely.

The Malibu occupants then fired a shot toward the victim’s vehicle, deputies were told. The bullet hit the driver’s side mirror and continued into the vehicle, striking the man in the left hand, he told deputies.

The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment, and deputies are looking for witnesses.

Authorities said a gold BMW was in the immediate area and the driver may have witnessed the incident. Anyone with information on the gold BMW is urged to call 706-541-1044 or 706-541-2800.

This gold BMW was in the area of the Columbia County road rage incident, deputies say.(Contributed)

Also Monday, a 39-year-old woman reported a road rage incident in the left lane on westbound Interstate 20 near mile marker 183.

She said that around 6 p.m., she was wedged between an 18-wheeler in front of her and a black Silverado that was was following so closely that she couldn’t even see its headlights in her rear-view mirror.

Once she passed the 18-wheeler, she got in the right lane, then the Silverado passed her and the driver, a white man with brown hair, rolled down his window and threw a bottle of water at her hood and windshield, she said. The Silverado then sped off toward McDuffie County.

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On Saturday, there was another incident involving a gun.

A 32-year-old driver said it happened just after 5:20 p.m. at Horizon South Parkway and Bentley Drive.

She said she was traveling south on Horizon South Parkway when a black Volkswagen SUV cut her off.

She honked her horn at the vehicle, which blocked both the straight and right-turn lanes while continuing down the roadway. The woman told deputies she tried to pass the vehicle before approaching Gateway Boulevard, but it cut in front of her.

Both vehicles stopped next to each other at a red light, and the victim rolled down her window.

The driver of the black Volkswagen, a 40- to 50-year-old white heavier set-female with blond hair and sunglasses rolled down her window and pointed a black gun at the victim and stated, “Come on,” according to deputies.

The victim pulled back, rolled up her window, pulled into a parking lot and called 911.