Driver Shot in the Head After Road Rage Accident on Atlanta’s Downtown Connector

Fulton County Sheriff

Atlanta, Ga. - According to authorities, a driver who was involved in a collision on the Downtown Connector was shot in the head by the driver of the other vehicle.

Officers with the Atlanta Police Department responded to the shooting at 4:30 AM yesterday morning. The shooting occurred near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Police stated that two vehicles were involved in a collision while attempting to enter the interstate. The driver of one of the cars fired several gunshots at the other vehicle.

The driver of the other vehicle was struck in the head. This was fortunately not fatal shot, and he is now in stable condition at Grady Memorial hospital. Police reported that the driver who fired the shots abandoned the vehicle at the scene. Police are still searching for the suspect.

As an Atlanta DUI Lawyer, I will focus today's post on a DUI-related charge that encompasses one of the crimes in the story above - aggressive driving.

Aggressive Driving

O.C.G.A. §40-6-397 outlines aggressive driving as:

A person commits the offense of aggressive driving when he or she operates any motor vehicle with the intent to annoy, harass, molest, intimidate, injure, or obstruct another person, including without limitation violating Code Section 40-6-42, 40-6-48, 40-6-49, 40-6-123, 40-6-184, 40-6-312, or 40-6-390 with such intent.

Aggressive driving refers to any sort of selfish, unsafe and risky driving behavior that shows disregard for the safety of other drivers.

If the facts above that have been reported are true, then this was probably the driver's driving behavior toward the other vehicles around him before he pulled the gun. 

Some common examples of aggressive driving behaviors include weaving in and out of traffic, changing lanes without signaling, passing in no-passing zones or emergency lanes, forceful merging, failing to yield, cutting off other drivers at close range, speeding, inappropriate gesturing and hand signals, inappropriate use of horns, flashing headlights, and tailgating.

Aggressive driving is a high and aggravated misdemeanor in the state of Georgia. This means that the offense falls into the middle ground between a misdemeanor and a felony. An aggressive driving conviction can result in up to 12 months of jail time as well as fines up to $5,000.

Practice Note

Aggressive driving is very similar to the charge of reckless driving. Both of these offenses are often seen accompanied by charges of DUI in Atlanta.

If you or a loved one has been arrested for DUI or a related offense, call our offices today.