Ontario Provincial Police are investigating a frightening road rage incident that saw two men stop their vehicle on Highway 427 to scream profanities and gesture threateningly at a car full of women.
According to the woman who was driving the car, the incident happened on Jan. 4 at around 9:30 p.m.
The woman was in the car with her daughter and her daughter’s friend and was attempting to pass a truck in the left lane at around 110 kilometres per hour when a vehicle came up behind them at high speed.
“As I moved over, from out of nowhere this vehicle came up very quickly behind me and right against my car back was flashing his lights, honking his horn,” the woman, who did not want to be named, told CTV News Toronto in an interview.
The driver of the other vehicle eventually squeezed through an opening between the woman’s car and the truck, sped up and got in front of her before stopping in a live lane of traffic.
“He ended up coming to a complete stop in the left lane on the 427 and absolutely terrified everyone in the car,” she said.
Video of the incident captured by the daughter and posted to Facebook shows one of the men gesturing aggressively close to the vehicle while screaming profanities about women. He then gets back in the car.
A second man then gets out the driver’s side and screams profanity before partially pulling down his pants and gesturing towards his groin.
The mother is heard on the video telling the girls not to look.
According to the woman, one of the men also threatened to perform a sex act on her daughter.
“The whole time I’m sitting there looking and making sure that the doors are locked, windows are locked and closed and then at the same time looking in the rearview mirror to make sure ‘ok, is anybody coming up fast because that’s the big danger of all of this too,” the mother said.
She said she was also concerned that one of the men might have a weapon or that another vehicle would slam into them while they were stopped.
“There was a Good Samaritan – thank god for him – who had pulled up behind me and put on his four-ways to divert traffic,” she said.
She said both men eventually got back in their vehicle and then started backing their car towards her car. However they eventually drove off.
At that point, she exited the highway at the first opportunity and went to a police station to report the incident.
While none of the women were physically injured, the incident left them shaken.
“The things that he was saying were so vulgar and the anger and the hate in his eyes —I’ve never seen that before,” the mother said. “It’s terrifying.”
OPP confirmed that they have launched a criminal investigation into the incident and said they expect to have more information to share on Monday.
However they said that stopping in a live lane of traffic on a highway is always “very dangerous” and could in itself result in dangerous driving charges.
Staff Sgt. Mike Di Pasquale told CTV News Toronto that depending on the circumstances, a person threatening assault or making a victim believe they could be hurt could be charged with criminal offences like assault even though the victim was not physically touched.
He said uttering threats or mischief endangering life could be other possible charges.
Di Pasquale said that anyone who is on the receiving end in a road rage situation should not engage the person.
“For people who are victims, don’t engage the driver,” Di Pasquale said. “Try to get a licence plate and description of the make and model of the vehicle, and driver. Do not engage. Move off to the shoulder or preferably get off the highway and then call 911.”
