Arrest Made In Oakland Hills Road Rage Hit-&-Run That Was Caught On Camera
OAKLAND (CBS SF) – Authorities have announced a driver has been arrested arrest in connection with an Oakland Hills hit-and-run and road rage incident that injured a man over the weekend.
"The driver in the hit-and-run incident which occurred on August 8, 2021 in the area of Aitken & Girvin Drives has been arrested by OPD," the Oakland Police Department tweeted Thursday afternoon.
Police went on to say that the suspect has been charged by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. The suspect's name or the charges filed were not immediately released.
Around 5:50 p.m. Sunday, Jonathan Sanler and his family heard shouting outside their home in the Piedmont Pines neighborhood.
A silver Chevy Bolt was speeding through the narrow roads and an argument began. The Bolt driver took off down Aitken, but quickly turned around.
"He came driving back up this way aiming toward the victims in the road," Sanler told KPIX 5.
Cell phone video shows three people outside a gray SUV who were missed by mere inches by the Bolt. Two passengers got back in the SUV, but the terror wasn't over yet.
"I saw the car coming barreling down the street again and aiming straight for the car," explained Sanler.
On the second attempt, the Bolt actually hit the driver of the SUV.
The driver, Joseph Lax, and his girlfriend, Allyson Amaral, told KPIX 5 about the ordeal. The pair, along with Amaral's sister, said they were in the SUV when the Bolt nearly hit them.
"He almost hit us because we were going around a blind spot and he rolled his window down and thought we were the ones in the wrong. He was cussing at us explicitly," Amaral told KPIX 5.
The driver of the Chevy Bolt drove away angrily but came speeding back as all three were out of their vehicle, missing them by inches.
"He had murderous intent at all times until he eventually hit me," Lax said.
Lax was busy ushering Amaral — who is pregnant with their first child — and her sister into the car. He didn't notice the Bolt driver coming back until Sanler shouted at him.
"All of a sudden the neighbor is yelling, 'Hey! Watch out!' He actually saved me, because he [the Bolt driver] would've hit me square on," explained Lax. He still got clipped and was badly bruised from the impact.
The three victims and the witness were able to make out the Bolt's license plate number, which was provided to authorities.
