A road rage incident in Los Angeles, ending up with a man dead. Just days later here in Tucson, a road rage leads to a man getting shot on the Northwest Side.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department explained the best way to avoid it is simple: don't get involved. Deputy Cody Gress' best advice? Take a deep breath, don't engage, and be a defensive driver.
"Go about your business and just make sure you are staying safe," Gress said. "Being aware, being a defensive driver -- which is what we're taught when going for our licenses -- just be a defensive driver, and be a good witness."
The incident in Tucson happened late Saturday night. Deputies say the victim was upset with a driver on the road, who was driving very aggressively. Gress says they exchanged some words, and then the driver shot the victim. He's expected to be okay.
He stressed confrontation is never the answer, and urged people to take a deep breath and continue to drive defensively. Gress says he understands that everybody has those days where nothing is going right, and to top it off, a reckless driver cuts you off. He says in that moment -- when you want to engage -- take a step back and try to think rationally.
"You make your day even worse when you run the risk again, of getting hurt, which makes everything worse," he said. "If you can't just take that deep breath, take a step back. Think clearly, think rationally."
Moving forward, he hopes people will realize that by engaging with another driver, it puts everybody on the road at risk for a dangerous situation.
