PHOENIX — The death of a 10-year-old girl at the hands of a possible road-rage shooter in Phoenix has many people asking: What should I do if I encounter a violent driver?
Team 12 talked with Sgt. Vince Lewis from the Phoenix Police department to find out how you can stay safe if you encounter someone whose emotions are out of control on the roadways.
Road rage happens a lot in the Valley
It seems like we report in the news all too often another case of road rage. A dramatic scene was captured in a Lowe’s parking lot in March near U.S. 60 and Ellsworth in Mesa, where a man pointed a gun at another driver.
In fact, we dug into our 12 News database found nine violent road-rage incidents across the Valley from April of 2018 until today.
All involved guns. In total, two people were killed and five other people wounded.
Sgt. Vince Lewis says there are some things you can to do to stay alive—most importantly, try and keep your cool.
Numbers are starting to be tracked statewide. We found 106 road rage incidents from September of 2017 to July of 2018.
How to stay safe during a road rage incident
"If something happens, you don’t take offense, deep breath and move," Lewis said.
But if a driver is determined to take it to the next level, use these tactics.
"If someone’s following you closely, you want to remove yourself from that situation, or you can use tactics like making right turns at major intersections. Getting on the phone with law enforcement and staying on a path is going to get us to you a little bit more quickly. Otherwise, look for more lit and more populated areas," says Lewis.
Sgt. Lewis says you shouldn’t drive to your home, even if you're close, because time and distance are your friends.
"If you think you’re the victim in this case, you don’t want to go home, you want to continue to make those turns. Stay on a path on major intersections and call police so we can get there and help," Lewis said.
If you have any information about the suspect in the shooting of 10-year-old Summer Mellody Bell, you're asked to call Silent Witness at 480-948-6377 or 480-839-8446 for Spanish. Callers can remain anonymous. If your tip leads to an arrest or indictment, you're eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $1,000.