Self defense ......or not?

[litewavve]

Scenario: Your car is being rammed on a highway, and your two-year old daughter is in the back seat. You have a pistol with you.

What do you do now?

DUMFRIES -- Tempers flared and gunfire erupted on southbound Interstate 95 during Tuesday's evening rush hour.
State police said the driver of a car fired at least 13 shots at a dump-truck driver after miles of aggressive driving through Woodbridge.
It started when the driver of a dump truck was attempting to merge into the southbound lanes of I-95 from state Route 123 and encountered a car. The drivers of the two vehicles began driving aggressively, state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said. While heading south on I-95, the dump truck struck the car two times, she said.
As they approached mile marker 159, the two vehicles ended up on the left shoulder and pinned against the jersey wall. At 4:23 p.m., police said, the driver of the car got out of his car -- leaving his 2-year-old daughter inside -- and started firing a handgun at the dump truck. The truck driver pulled away into traffic. His truck was hit by at least four of the 13 rounds fired by the car's driver, Geller said.
The car driver then followed after the dump truck. Trooper B.W. Coleman stopped both drivers at mile marker 154.
The car driver, 25-year-old Gabriel Poventud, is charged with child endangerment, attempted homicide and weapons charges, state police said. He and his daughter were not injured.
The dump-truck driver, 44-year-old James Bringham of Woodbridge, is charged with reckless driving. He was not injured.
State police had no reports of other vehicles struck by gunfire.

From another Newspaper: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/cri...?hpid=newswell

[275RLTW]

4 hits from 13 rounds....I would take lessons

[litewavve]

4 hits from 13 rounds....I would take lessons

[Bailey Guns]

4 hits from 13 rounds....I would take lessons

At a target the size of a dump truck, no less. I would take a lot of lessons.

[sniper7]

4 hits from 13 rounds....I would take lessons

especially on a dumptruck

driver of the car should have pulled out to protect his daughter and get away from the dump truck...not like the truck will keep up with him.

the dump truck driver should be charged with attempted vehicular manslaughter (something along those lines) since (according to the story) he was hitting the car purposely.

sounds like a big case of reckless driving on both accounts where they should both lose their licenses for good, and the shooter should get some prison time and have his right to bear arms stripped away since he can't hit shit and obviously can't make sound judgement.

[Irving]

I've thought of this before. Both drivers escalated the situation and this was not a situation of self-defense. He should have just stopped his car instead of continuing on with the pissing contest. They both acted extremely dangerously. I think the dump truck driver should have more serious charges.

[newracer]

Not self defense. He fired at the dump truck after both vehicles were stopped, the threat at that point was gone.

[sabot_round]

I've thought of this before. Both drivers escalated the situation and this was not a situation of self-defense. He should have just stopped his car instead of continuing on with the pissing contest. They both acted extremely dangerously. I think the dump truck driver should have more serious charges.

^^^^^THIS^^^^^

[pr1ncess45]

What self defense? I think not. Should have pulled over then called police. Dump truck driver only weapon was his damn truck. Come on why would that be any means to draw your wepon or even discharge it.I am glad his child was unharmed. Yes he does need lessons alot of them.

[litewavve]

From various news sources, the facts seem to be

1. The Jaguar was on south I-95 (two-lane) when the truck merged into it.
2. It was 4pm in early rush hour. The two drivers were both aggressive. The Jaguar driver's two-year old daughter was on board.
3. The trunk hit the Jaguar twice and pinned it against the jersey wall.
4. The Jaguar driver came out firing at the truck.
5. The truck fled, but Jaguar pursued
6. They were both pulled off 4 miles later
7. Both were charged with 2nd degree attempted murder

It is true that if the Jaguar driver did not need to insisting on right of the way, which he had. But being an jerk should not mean that he crossed the line.

#3 was a major escalation of the the event. Being in that situation, I would be scared too. I had nowhere to go and my daughter was in the car.

I would not do #4, unless the truck driver came out with a steel bar. But again, if I were on the jury, I would take into consideration of the threats the truck driver had shown up to that point.