Maryland police reported that the incident began around 8:30 p.m. last Saturday night in the southbound lane of 295 in Baltimore City. The driver who was arrested for DUI was driving extremely erratically, which prompted another vehicle to honk its horn. The alleged drunk driver took offense to this gesture and rammed his Nissan pickup truck into the passenger side of the other car, a Subaru, and kept driving. Then the alleged drunk driver and the passenger of the Nissan further escalated the dangerous situation by coming to a complete stop in a lane of traffic and exiting their vehicle, forcing other cars bound for Baltimore County to come to a stop as well. The driver and passenger approached the same Subaru, which was unable to go around the Nissan, and began violently kicking and punching the car for no apparent reason other than being honked at. This strange and terrifying situation prompted the driver of a Pontiac to intervene and help out the Subaru’s passengers. Upon seeing the driver of the Pontiac exit his vehicle, the alleged drunk driver and his passenger stopped their assault on the Subaru and returned to their Nissan, but the incident was not nearly finished.
After the alleged drunk driver and passenger resumed traveling down 295, they located the good Samaritan driver of the Pontiac and began chasing him. As the two cars crossed the Baltimore County line, the alleged drunk driver intentionally rear ended the Pontiac, causing it to spin off the interstate. Simultaneously, the alleged drunk driver lost control of his Nissan and crossed over the median of 295. The Nissan then rolled over numerous times into oncoming northbound traffic. The Nissan came to rest on top of the hood of a Honda that had braked and swerved to avoid hitting the Nissan. As the Nissan struck the Honda, the alleged drunk driver and passenger were ejected from the vehicle and suffered life threatening injuries. Both were taken to University of Maryland shock trauma and remain in serious but stable condition. The driver of the Honda was also taken to Maryland shock trauma for her serious injuries, but was released the next day. The man in the Pontiac was treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital as well.
The situation on 295 in Baltimore last weekend was straight out of a death defying Hollywood chase scene of an action movie, only the terror that the alleged drunk driver caused and the injuries suffered were real. The driver may be charged with additional crimes, but for now he faces first and second degree assault charges, DUI, and malicious destruction of property. The first degree assault charge is a felony and could result in a significant jail sentence. In fact, the maximum penalty for first degree assault, which occurs when a person intentionally causes serious bodily injury to another person, is 25 years in prison. The passenger of the Nissan faces misdemeanor assault and destruction of property charges. The driver is due to appear in Maryland district court in downtown Baltimore on July 6 for a preliminary hearing.
Benjamin Herbst is a Maryland DUI lawyer. Mr. Herbst also handles assault cases and other criminal cases in Maryland. If you or someone you know should require the assistance of a criminal lawyer in Maryland, contact Benjamin Herbst at The Herbst Firm for a free consultation.
Resources
2 Men Charged With Assault, 1 With DUI After I-295 Road Rage Incident, baltimore.cbslocal.com.