Another Act of Road Rage Leads to Shooting in Atlanta

Atlanta Municipal Court

Atlanta, Ga. - According to the Atlanta Police Department, another case of road rage escalated to gunfire within the City of Atlanta - except this time in Midtown.

Reports stated that a man was blocking traffic on 10th Street and got upset when someone honked at him. In response to the honking, the man allegedly confronted the driver. This led to the shooting.

The Atlanta Police Department has not stated yet whether any charges will be filed. 

As an Atlanta DUI Lawyer, I am frequently representing drivers who have been charged with DUI in Atlanta along with other serious traffic violations. These traffic violations include offenses such as the predicate offense here in the story above - aggressive driving.

I will cover the law behind this offense in today's post.

Aggressive Driving

The Georgia Code defines aggressive driving in O.C.G.A. §40-6-397. It includes driving behaviors such as:

• Weaving in and out of lanes of traffic
• Driving at high speeds
• Tailgating
• Forceful merging
• Cutting other drivers off
• Passing in shoulder lanes or no-passing zones

Driving with the intent to annoy, harass, molest, intimidate, injure, or obstruct another person, including without limitation violating Code Section 40-6-42 [overtaking and passing], 40-6-48 [improper lane change or usage], 40-6-49 [following too closely], 40-6-123 [failing to signal], 40-6-184 [driving too slowly], 40-6-312 [lane usage by motorcycles], or 40-6-390 [reckless driving] with such intent. 

Aggressive driving is a high and aggravated misdemeanor. This means that the punishment could include a fine up to $5,000, jail time of up to 12 months, or both. An aggressive driving conviction will also add six points to your license, which has an even greater potential of leading to a driver's license suspension.

Practice Note

Call our offices today if you or a loved one has been arrested or cited within the City of Atlanta.