A man accused of “road rage” also faces drunk driving charges following his arrest for an alleged incident on May 4, according to local sources. Washington police were called to the scene of a car accident reportedly predicated on an incident of road rage. The man is also facing DUI charges, though a full report of the event is not yet available.
The report states that the 35-year-old man was traveling south on State Route 303 at approximately 6:40 p.m. when the alleged incident took place. It is said another driver, a 22-year-old man, was attempting to pass him from behind when the elder driver “brake-checked” him. That is to say, he allegedly applied his brakes in an attempt to force the other man to slow down.
The report goes on to presume this caused the man behind him to crash into the rear of the pickup truck. While the younger driver was cited for negligent driving, both were, thankfully, wearing seat belts and therefore were uninjured. The older driver was charged on the scene with DUI for unknown reasons, and his vehicle was impounded.
Washington prosecutors will have to provide compelling evidence that the man was drunk at the time of the accident in order for DUI charges to hold up in court. This could take the form of a blood test or other roadside sobriety test, though both will have to be proved to have been voluntary and in accordance with the man’s rights. A failure to observe proper procedure in this instance can lead cases to being thrown out of court altogether.
Source: centralkitsapreporter.com, “Man charged with DUI in road rage incident“, Chris Tucker, May 5, 2015