by Stephen Rivers
- A female driver allegedly hit another car, then pulled a gun when confronted by the victim.
- The weapon discharged during the altercation, the police confirmed, but nobody was hurt.
- No charges have been made public, though the incident highlights the dangers of road rage.
Road rage is always a terrible idea. Driving vehicles that weigh several thousand pounds with a bad mood and worse intentions can lead to life-changing circumstances. In the case of one man with his kids in Atlanta, a hit-and-run accident nearly led to tragedy. When he chased down a driver who he says hit him, things only de-escalated after she allegedly discharged a firearm. Video from the scene shows how fast things can go from bad to worse.
Read: Cybertruck Flips Over After Alleged Road Rage Attack
Brandon Parker and his sons, aged 2, 8 and 14, were all headed home from Zoo Atlanta when he claims that another driver clipped their car and fled the scene. Wanting to ensure the authorities and insurance could hold the driver accountable, Parker gave chase. Despite evasive maneuvers, Parker was able to keep up and the driver ultimately stopped in the middle of the road. That’s when things took a really bad turn.
Confrontation on Camera
Parker’s 14-year-old son started shooting video. In it, we hear his dad tell the other driver, a woman, that “You don’t care who’s in this car. You just hit us. You didn’t stop and check on us, make sure we’re okay. You didn’t care.” On her part, the woman in the video appears to be holding a handgun and loudly arguing with Parker. “I don’t play… a man is not going to play with me,” she can be heard saying while waving the gun around. Her muzzle and trigger discipline are less than stellar.
At one point, she seems to point the gun at Parker, and that’s when he decides to take action. He grabs the woman’s right wrist, and the two struggle over the gun. “I’m watching the gun the entire time. I’m able to kind of hip toss her and slam her head into the concrete. When I do that, it knocks her unconscious. I’m able to get the gun,” he told Atlanta News First.
Once the woman regained consciousness, she left the scene before the police arrived. “So I let her go. You know, I stopped because self-defense only goes so far. It’s not self-defense if I’m trying to chase her and grab her and pin her down,” said Parker. “But thinking back, you know, I should have made some different decisions, because it could have cost my child.”
Things could’ve gone much worse than they already did in this situation. Nobody won and while police reportedly know about the situation, it’s unclear who, if anyone, is going to end up charged. Carscoops reached out to the Atlanta PD for more information on that front, and we’ll update you here if we hear back.
A Sobering Reminder
Ultimately, regardless the charges or outcome, the lesson is clear: avoid road rage at all costs and in cases where a hit-and-run driver tries to flee, get a plate number if possible and contact the authorities. No confrontation is worth risking your life or the ones of those riding with you. This man and his kids got away intact in this case – but every incident is unique and you never know what’s gonna happen, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.