Road rage - 4 year old girl shot and killed

Warrigal

Warrigal

SF VIP
Location
Sydney, Australia
What is it with this level of rage?
Two men cut each other off on a highway and one shoots at the other's car and kills his little daughter.

These are the charges the police have filed so far

Torrez is charged with an open count of murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, assault with the intent to commit a violent felony, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, child abuse, child abuse resulting in death and tampering with evidence.
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I'd like to know the outcome of this trial.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/22/us/child-road-rage-killing/
 

Road rage is just that, rage. I have been upset with some of the stupid stuff drivers have done to me, but in 15 seconds or less, the anger passes. If people would learn to count to 10, maybe a lot of this crap could be eliminated. It's like the old saying goes, "For every action there is a reaction." The reaction is instantaneous, so if people would just take a deep breath and let it out slowly, at least for some, the anger would pass.
 
On the national news last night it was described to be a long time on the highway that the driver, father of the girl, has been blocking this other driver, the shooter, by going left and right over the lanes of the highway and not allowing the shooter to pass him. If so, the father needs to get a long term himself for being such a jerk for an extended period. The shooter also needs some correction for doing what he did.

I have had this happen to me more than once. Driving along at 60 behind a car, shift lanes and increase my speed as 70 or 75 is posted, then the car I am attempting to pass accelerates also. Can't pass. Pretty aggravating, but not enough for violence. The idea of multiple lanes on highways is to allow all of us to travel at different speeds if we choose. I don't like to drive beside a car if possible to change so I drop behind for now. Then if they slow down I fall back a bit then accelerate and pass them quickly and in time I have gained distance and speed, they then fall behind.
 
Anyone who has ever driven on the New Jersey Turnpike or even anywhere tri-state has seen over the top road rage. People pass on the right and left. Sometimes two cars will pass on both sides at the same time...to get to a red light. Beep your horn at the wrong person and they might block your car, come to your window and tell you exactly what they think of your driving. Scary to think of those kind of people with guns too.
 
I'm just amazed that road rage isn't even more prevalent. After living in the boondocks for the past several years, I am constantly amazed at the Stupidity some of the drivers in the city exhibit every time we go up there. I guess I was used to it when I had to fight the rush hour every day, but now, I see dozens of examples of a potential tragedy on every trip. People hopping lanes, and cutting in and out of every little space between cars, etc., etc. are just inviting someone who is having a bad day to go "nuts". I guess the rule of "go with the flow" is a concept that many fail to understand.
 
What have we become?

As a biker I have been the victim of road rage a number of times that could have taken my life. People driving cars, trucks, SUV's even motorbikes for that matter are handling potentially deadly weapons. Lets settle down out there, share the road, and be respectful of others. If you can't do that then lets top letting the actions of others push us to dangerous reactions.
 
I believe it was the same day as the shooting, maybe day before, but there is a film of a driver that intentionally swung his care to the left as a motorcycle was passing. He knocked the bike over and you see the motorcycle driver and his rider flipping along on the road and grass. Neither was killed. Then we see the driver of the care shouting something about them and say 'I don't care' or something like that. I sure hope the police put charges on him. He doesn't deserve to damage others and keep his driving permit.
 
After watching the case of afluenza, if any of these people get off with a slap on the wrists I can't say it would surprise me,, some laws pertaining to death by motoist are abominable in how light the sentencing can go.

BTW long time ago, while I was in a cab the cabbie and another driver got into it, I was so horrified I was weighing options of getting out of the cab, but, then thought that might just made my situation more perilous.
 
Today the answer to a road age is simply having a handgun available....sad but it the solution to most problems nowadays thanks to the NRA.
 
Then again I just heard on the news about a doctor pleading guilty to driving drunk and killing a fortysomething year old woman by hitting her car. The put him behind bars...for TWO years. maybe it's me but you're a professional, well educated, you knew the possible outcome of driving sloshed and you did it anyway. I don't think someone should get away with a slap on the wrist for murder.
 
Very different from road rage. I tend to think the guy who killed this child will get serious time. But, let's wait and see. No reason to think he will get a slap on the wrist.

(as far as drunk driving, a young man was recently sentenced to 9 yrs for killing a man in his 60s here.)
 
Further details here. Looking at his prior history, I wouldn't be too quick to lay blame on the father's shoulders.
The man who pointed and fired the gun must bear full responsibility for the death of a little girl.

By Devon Armijo Bio
Judge lambasts man charged with 4-year-old's shooting

Man confesses to I-40 road rage shooting, police say

Oct 22, 2015

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —The man who police said confessed to killing a 4-year-old girl during a road rage incident earlier this week went before a judge Thursday afternoon. Police said Tony Torrez, 32, opened fire on a family’s truck, hitting and killing Lilly Garcia, 4. Torrez was on the run for a day before tips from the public led police to him.

Authorities said Torrez confessed to Lilly's murder shortly after his arrest.

Torrez has been charged with an open count of murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, assault with the intent to commit a violent felony, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, child abuse, child abuse resulting in death and tampering with evidence.

‘One of the worst alleged acts in the history of the city’

Judge Chris Schultz set Torrez’s bond at $650,000 and had some harsh words for the suspected murderer. Torrez stood with his head down in court.
“This is possibly one of the most wanton and atrocious acts that's alleged, I think, in the history of this city,” Schultz said.

Newly released court documents show Garcia’s father told police a driver cut him off as he approached an Interstate 40 off-ramp on Tuesday afternoon. Alan Garcia said he made gestures and cursed at Torrez.

As he pulled away, Garcia said he heard gunshots.

“If members of the motoring public receive gunfire for a perceived slight on the highway, then I don't know who is safe,” Schultz said. “There’s no explanation. There doesn't appear to be, at least in the affidavit that I've read, any provocation that would warrant any response, anything close to this.”

The judge said he considers Torrez to be a flight risk due to numerous instances of him failing to appear in court.

Court records show Torrez has about a dozen prior felony charges, including charges from another incident in which he was accused of pulling a gun on another driver. However, all previous felony charges against Torrez were either dismissed or dropped.

Prosecutors charged Torrez in 2006 with aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A man told investigators Torrez pulled a gun on him after an argument. The victim defended himself and was able to get Torrez in a chokehold, and the gun fired as they wrestled. Prosecutors ended up dropping the charges because the victim and a witness would not cooperate.

In 2010, police arrested Torrez for kidnapping, aggravated battery, domestic violence and child abuse. Court records show the dismissal of those charges in 2013 after the victim died from an unrelated cause.

Two earlier cases of aggravated battery were also dismissed, and a 2014 arrest for negligent use of a deadly weapon also resulted with charges being dropped.

He faces seven felonies in Lilly’s death: murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, assault with the intent to commit a violent felony, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, child abuse, child abuse resulting in death and tampering with evidence.
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I will again bring up the witnesses story that the father would change lanes to prevent the shooter from passing. That probably was enough to irritate this person with raging tendencies. Best to stay in your lane and allow others to pass if they want to. So a confrontation was being set up and should not have been in the first place. The tragic response was a result.
 
Changing lanes, cutting someone off in traffic, arguing, name calling, giving the finger.....none of those things justify murder and are certainly not worth spending one's life in prison.
 
applecruncher said:
Changing lanes, cutting someone off in traffic, arguing, name calling, giving the finger.....none of those things justify murder and are certainly not worth spending one's life in prison.
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I agree but do also want folks to be aware of consequences. The father should be reprimanded in court and made publicly aware so others know what is wrong on the highway. The shooter is going to be held and tried for murder.
 
Everyone (even children) know that behavior has consequences. What if a couple is walking down the street and they smile at someone who has had a crappy day/life or maybe just got fired, and the person kills one of them? Should the survivor be blamed and reprimanded?
 
applecruncher said:
Everyone (even children) know that behavior has consequences. What if a couple is walking down the street and they smile at someone who has had a crappy day/life or maybe just got fired, and the person kills one of them? Should the survivor be blamed and reprimanded?
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Totally different situation. They were not blocking traffic by smiling.
 
In the highway case the father should have just let the shooter pass and not stopped. A couple of stupid things to have done in today's US society.

His actions need to be pointed out to the public and the shooter is going to be tried for murder. Both actions led to the shooting.

I guess I just don't know where you are coming from.

Moving on now.
 

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