PHOENIX — Tense moments between two drivers were caught on camera near a busy Phoenix intersection earlier this month.
The incident happened on August 16 near 40th Street and Broadway Road. A couple involved still can't believe what happened.
"Oh my God, did you see that?" Vanessa Lemus yelled."The police are right there!"
The video lasts about a minute. However, for Lemus and Justin Pringle, the memories of that day will last a lifetime.
"I couldn't believe that was actually happening," Pringle said.
"At that point, he's still yelling at my husband all these racial slurs, talking all this nonsense," Lemus said.
While waiting for a red light at the intersection a truck approached and the driver began to act aggressively, the couple recalled.
"This truck behind us, he came at us like he was going to hit us and slams on his horn and doesn't stop," Lemus said.
"I wave my hand like we can't go on anywhere," Pringle said. "Then he hits his gas like he's going to rear-end us and comes within inches."
"So my husband he stands up out of the car, to tell him we can't go anywhere," recalled Lemus. "He's yelling out of his window and he starts yelling at my husband, 'Get back in your car [expletive], or pull over and do something about it.'"
This is where the couple began recording the video.
"I was shaking because I was afraid this person was going to do something," Lemus said.
In it, you see the truck driver almost hit Pringle, then turn off the road.
"When he passed the first time, he tried to hit me, he could've kept going if he was really scared out the parking lot," said Pringle. "But he reversed and continued to try to run me and my wife over."
The Phoenix Police Department confirmed with 12News that officers responded to a similar call in the area that day, however, specifics of what happened were unavailable.
"I've never encountered anything like this through everything I've been through," said Pringle.
The situation is scary and shows a growing problem on the roadways.
AAA estimates about eight out of ten drivers show aggressive behavior when driving. When someone experiences it, it's best to not engage, pull over or let them go around you and to try to ignore it. If someone follows you, you should drive to the nearest police station.
Pringle though said, just be kind.
"Respect," he said. "If you can't find it to love another person, respect that person like you would your family."
As Lemus and Pringle continue to move forward after what happened, they're focusing on what's most important right now, each other.
The owner of Phoenix Propane issued the following statement regarding the incident:
"I do not tolerate the actions of that employee. I saw the video at 5:30 am and the employee was terminated immediately. I contacted the people that this happened to and also let them know he was terminated. This employee does not represent our values. We are a hard-working family ran business trying to make a living by treating people with respect.”
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