Road Rage Incident in Alabama Results in Murder

A story out of Alabama made national headlines this morning, after a woman attempted to shoot another driver this past weekend during a road rage incident.

In her attempt to shoot a driver she instead shot her own husband in the head. She has been charged with a slew of violent felonies and is being held without bond.

Even though this horrific accident occurred in Alabama, we see plenty of horrible examples of road rage in Georgia all the time.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I handle cases dealing with serious violations of the law on the road. One of the predicate crimes in cases such as the one above is known as the offense of aggressive driving. Obviously other crimes occur afterwards such as the acts of violence that make the news. However, in today's post, I will outline the law behind the offense that typically starts these situations.

Aggressive Driving in Georgia

Aggressive Driving in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in O.C.G.A. §40-6-397 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.

To expound on the law a bit, aggressive driving refers to any sort of selfish, unsafe and risky driving behavior that shows disregard for the safety of other drivers. Aggressive driving behavior includes 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 classified as a high and aggravated misdemeanor in Georgia. A first time conviction can result in penalties of jail time up to 12 months or fines up to $5,000 or both.

Practice Note

If you or a loved one has been arrested for a serious traffic violation such as aggressive driving or DUI in Georgia, contact our offices today. A Georgia DUI Attorney can help you with your case now.

Even minor traffic offenses can result in major charges and arrests. This is why DUI Law is so broad and inclusive regarding other crimes. As DUI Lawyers, we have to be well-practiced and well-rounded regarding Georgia criminal defense.