Driver shoots toward vehicle in road rage incident; cases on rise in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Road rage is on the rise across Indianapolis.
News 8 previously reported that Indiana State Police were seeing this issue on the interstates. It turns out the problem is making its way onto city streets as well.
News 8 research shows that Indianapolis is set to surpass the total of 2020 road rage reports significantly. While some incidents are minor, others are incredibly dangerous. On Friday afternoon, IMPD says, a road rage incident near East 46th Street and North Arlington Road resulted in a shooting.
In 2020, IMPD filed at least 63 road rage reports. Already just past the halfway point in 2021, at least 42 road rage reports have been made.
“We are also not shocked by that based on the fact that of all of the construction and stuff being torn up all around downtown,” said Tammi Cumpston, who drives downtown for work.
For people News spoke to, they say navigating downtown has gotten significantly more difficult over the past few months so they understand how drivers may be getting more irate.
“I just feel like it is a lot of construction happening. There are people who don’t know how to drive as well,” said Jayson Zelaya, who lives downtown.
Scott Fulk rides a motorcycle and says he often encounters dangerous road rage incidents. He had a scary experience just hours before we encountered him Friday on Monument Circle.
“I almost got ran off on the interstate and I tried telling the lady like, ‘Yo, watch out,’” Fulk said, “and she tried hitting me a couple of times.”
As she has been working downtown, Cumpston and her coworker have noticed more frustration on the roads.
“We have heard a lot of extra horn honking. We have heard people yelling out of their car windows at people but thankfully we have not witnessed anything more drastic than that,” said Cumptson.
Between lane closures and shifting traffic patterns she says downtown isn’t exactly set up for a smooth ride at the moment.
“I was just stating down market I took a walk for lunch today both sides of the sidewalk are closed, we are walking in between construction barrels trying to share the street with the cars and people are honking. So it is definitely a lot more challenging with all of the construction,” said Cumpston.
A few weeks ago when asked about the road rage cases. IMPD said that they had not noticed an increase despite the current pattern showing the possibility for a 20 percent increase in cases over last year.
