CHP: I-5 Road Rage Incident A Deadly Lesson For Drivers
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - An investigation is underway after a fight sparked by road rage resulted in the deaths of drivers Jason Dykes of Sacramento and Jose Rodriguez of Oroville. Now authorities are asking people to be calm on the roads.
Dashcam video shows a driver calling 911 to report a body in the middle lane on Interstate 5.
"I look over to my right and there's a body in the middle lane," a witness who wants to remain anonymous told CBS13.
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It was just before 4 a.m., Sunday when two cars crashed on Interstate 5. Both men kept driving, but stopped a short distance later near the Del Paso Road exit, got out, and started fighting.
The fight escalated quickly. Witnesses say one man hit the other with a baseball bat, killing him instantly from blunt-force trauma. Then the attacker began walking back to his car only to be struck and killed by another driver.
The victim was identified as 39-year-old Dykes. The attacker was identified as 37-year-old Rodriguez-Carrasco.
Authorities say the incident should serve as a lesson to drivers.
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"If you encounter any type of emergency that's blocking traffic lanes -- especially on the freeway -- whether it's a traffic collision debris or traffic like a body, first off, move to a safe location and let professionally trained first respondents get to the scene and handle it," said CHP Officer Mike Zerfas.
How should you handle it if faced with an aggressive driver yourself?
"The best thing to do is nothing. Keep driving. Ignore. I like to say have a moment of calm," he said.
If calm turns to chaos, dial 911 before ever getting out of the car, Zerfas says.
The driver who struck Rodriguez-Carrasco cooperated with authorities and is not in any trouble.