INDIANAPOLIS — Metro police say new technology can help solve cases of road rage on Indy streets if they're reported. It is a dangerous trend and state police have said it's hard to hold reckless drivers accountable.
"You announced something the other night that scared me half to death," Deborah Loughrey said.
Loughery reflects on a story we reported earlier this month.
"Someone was on 65 and she said that the car that pulled next to her had a gun. Do you remember that? And pointed it at her and I went oh my god, that is really terrifying," Loughrey said.
It happened on I-65 near Southport Road. The woman did not want to share her identity but told our Adam Schumes those momentsof her coming face to face with a gun pointed at her was by far the scariest encounter she's ever had.
"When I saw the barrel of the gun, I didn't want to panic because, as you know, on the highway, we have people going 60 to 70 miles per hour. I could have had a wreck. My first instinct was to call the police and get behind her, not on the side of her."
The driver who pointed a gun at her, was eventually arrested. But Indy drivers said they're too familiar with cases of road rage.
"One day I was leaving, and I just sped up to get on ramp to 70 and the gentleman next to me got very upset and tried to race me and then he was honking at me. It was just, it was nuts," the woman said.
"It's certainly concerning to our agency," Officer William Young said with IMPD.
Young said IMPD is doing what it can to track down and get dangerous and threatening drivers off the roads.
"The city spent a significant number on our technology to our flock system, or license plate reader. Once you pull over and give that dispatcher the information that we need, we can key into one of those flock cameras and possibly try and find that suspect's vehicle," Young said.
"People don't have patience these days," John Russell said.
Although the flock cameras are helpful for now, people our Amber Grigley spoke with say they have no clue what it will take to get people to just do the right thing on the road.
"I am the type to yell behind my steering wheel. I mean I guess if you saw me, you would know I was yelling at you, but I would never ever like roll my window down because that's how people get killed just shooting their mouth off."
IMPD said you should never engage with an aggressive driver. Pull over in a safe spot get as much of a description as you can-- and call 9-1-1.
