Road Rage Shootings On the Rise in Illinois

 Posted on November 15, 2024 in Violent Crimes

A simple dispute between drivers can escalate quickly into actual violence or firearms charges. In the last few months alone, there have been numerous arrests made related to road rage assaults. Many of these incidents involved firearms, while others involved only vehicles themselves being weaponized. In June, a Naperville motorist was arrested for assault after allegedly drawing a firearm on another driver during a road rage incident. Another Illinois arrest involved a cyclist reaching into a vehicle and stabbing the driver. Drivers on social media have casually reported a large number of aggressive driving incidents that did not result in arrests and may have been politically motivated, although these reports are unverified. If you have been charged with assault, reckless driving, or a weapons offense after a dispute with another driver, you need an experienced Grundy County, IL criminal defense attorney to help you.

Weapons Offenses and Road Rage 

Drivers who have drawn a weapon on another driver often claim that they were acting in self-defense. If you felt legitimately threatened by the conduct of another driver when you drew a firearm, your lawyer may be able to argue that you were acting in self-defense. However, self-defense claims rarely succeed in traffic-related shootings. First, you would need to prove that the other driver was purposely trying to seriously injure or kill you. The other driver is very likely to claim that he was driving carelessly or recklessly, not attacking you.

Additionally, firing a weapon from a moving vehicle at a moving target is extremely challenging, even for highly trained gun users. Bystanders are just as likely to be hit as the intended target, which can lead to charges for reckless discharge. If your gun was not properly registered to you or you were not permitted to own a gun in the first place, you could face additional charges.

Drawing or firing a weapon can lead to felony assault or even homicide charges if the action was not legally justified.

Road Rage Charges Without Weapons

If no weapons were involved, you can still face serious charges for driving in a way that could hurt others. Reckless driving charges are common after road rage incidents. You could be charged with reckless driving for doing things like repeatedly cutting off a driver, following too closely, chasing another driver at high speeds, or veering into another driver’s lane in a way that could force him off the road.

Actions designed to deliberately injure another driver, such as actually crashing into him or purposely hitting a cyclist, can be treated as assault.

Contact a Joliet, IL Criminal Defense Attorney

Law Offices of Jack L. Zaremba, P.C. is committed to providing the best criminal defense possible. Experienced Grundy County, IL assault and reckless driving attorney Jack Zaremba is skilled in handling road rage cases. Contact us at 815-740-4025 for a complimentary consultation.