Road-rage driver circled back three times to hit California man, police say

Road rage turned extreme when a California man was hit by a driver Sunday, according to authorities.

Joseph Lax of Pleasanton said he got into an altercation with a man driving a Chevrolet Bolt in the Oakland Hills area, KTVU reported. Lax was captured on video being hit by the car.

“Emotionally I’m like a rock seeing that,” Lax said, according to the station. “I get teary eyed about it. He had murderous intent.”

Authorities said the two men initially got into an argument after their cars almost collided before the hit-and-run driver drove away in the Chevrolet Bolt, the Bay Area News Group reported.

The driver then came back to the site three times and tried to hit Lax and two women who were passengers in the car, according to the publication. Lax was hit, fell to the ground and was injured, officials said.

Jonathan Sanler said he heard screaming outside and witnessed the confrontation, CBS San Francisco reported. Sanler alerted authorities, and Oakland police are investigating the incident as a hit-and-run and road-rage incident.

Lax “was very sore,” had bruises and “would be fine,” authorities said, according to the station.

Oakland police said on the department’s Twitter account Aug. 12 that the driver was arrested and charged.

This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 10:13 AM with the headline "Road-rage driver circled back three times to hit California man, police say."