A 37-year-old man faces several charges related to a road rage incident in Temiskaming Shores on Monday.
Dash cam footage of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed the victim calling 911 as he was trying to escape from a white Toyota Rav 4 SUV that had already rammed into his car several times on Highway 11.
“We do have the odd road rage incident that we do have to deal with occasionally, but I would say that this is an isolated incident and this individual obviously may have had other issues going on as well,” said OPP Provincial Const. Martin Thibault.
Thibault said officers had to deploy a spike belt to stop the driver of the white SUV.
The man now faces charges for dangerous operation of a vehicle, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer with a weapon and breach of recognizance.
Thibault said both the accused and the victim were treated for minor injuries from the road rage incident.
Road rage cases steady in Sudbury
In Sudbury, the number of road rage incidents reported to police has remained steady for the last few years.
In 2022 Sudbury police received 120 calls related to road rage. There were 123 reported incidents in 2023 and 125 in 2024.
Greater Sudbury Police spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn said in an email to CBC News that drivers can take several precautions to avoid becoming the victims of road rage.
Those include avoiding last-minute lane changes, letting faster motorists pass and avoiding honking your horn when possible.
If a road rage incident leads to a collision Dunn said it’s important for the victim to remain calm so they don’t escalate the situation.
“If a driver was so angry that he or she caused an accident, remain in your vehicle until law enforcement arrives,” she wrote.
“You do not want the situation to become further escalated by being a victim of assault. If you have to exit your vehicle because of leaking gas or other dangers, stay far away from the other driver and try to stay in a public space.”
Dunn added it’s important to take note of the other driver’s physical description if possible, because aggressive drivers may fail to stop at the scene of a crash.
