Resulting charge if I had "pitted" a Durango that cuts me off?

[Kelvrick]

Who: kelvrick
Where: I-5 North in Sacramento going 75mph in lane #2with an Altima coming up in the #1 going about 80.
What: Jackass in a Durango

I understand people wanting to go fast and dbags thinking that slower traffic to the right doesn’t apply to them. But, this Durango comes out from behind the Altima to #2, then to #3 to pass me and then cuts me off on his way back to #1. This is when there is a good mile of road in front of us in all three lanes. When his rear driver side wheel passed the divider, his rear bumper had not cleared my front yet. By the time I had recovered from the instant reaction to shove myself to the left side of my lane, part of me wished I had just "pit maneuvered" the fucker. I’m sure with the wheel turned and going about 85, it would have been a very pleasant experience.

So, if I had, the result? Would I get away as an innocent driver caught up with a road rager? Get charged with vehicular manslaughter for the resulting barrel roll into incoming traffic on I-5 south going 70+?

Here is where it happened
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...=vFZbodKhgUSCJ6nCiPN0WQ&cbp=12,317.4,,0,12.65

Required picture from paint

Atari Spy Hunter version for mundane

 

[mundane]

..

 

[shiner]

The problem is obvious....his left front tire was low and that caused his steering issues.



You might want to check out your left rear when you get home...it looks a little low or out of balance itself.

 

[bignateyk]

hmm.. normally I would fault you for not being in the right lane, but since there are 3 lanes, driving in the middle lane is acceptable as long as you are going >= the speed limit.

Sounds like a douchebag, especially if there wasn't any traffic.

 

[Kelvrick]

hmm.. normally I would fault you for not being in the right lane, but since there are 3 lanes, driving in the middle lane is acceptable as long as you are going >= the speed limit.

Sounds like a douchebag, especially if there wasn't any traffic.

How was I not in the right lane? I was basically alone in all three lanes. The durango basically changed lanes out from behind the Altima to immediately behind me. He had a good mile of space behind me to pass the altima but instead waited until I was also in the way.

Altima in lane #1 (fast lane) with some cars behind him coming up. Nobody in lane #3 at all.

 

[joesmoke]

ya... 5 used to be a reasonable freeway til elk grove (south) and yuba city (north) got popular and now you have lots of people like said asshole in said SUV that think its their god given right to have a 25 minute commute no matter how far out of town they move.

 

[Paladin3]

It's one thing to have some guilty pleasure fantasy of spinning cars out because the driver is an asshat, but I'm guessing you really don't want to follow through and have the potential deadly consequences on your conscience.

I always let drivers like that go by, comforting myself with the knowledge that any cop lying in wait ahead will take them over me. Or as I like to say when they pass: "Go, Bandit, go! Clear them smokies out of the way so the Snowman can keep on truckin'."

 

[F1N3ST]

I like to fuck with people when I drive, only people that do stupid shit.

 

[Blackjack200]

I can't tell from your description (or picture) if this was the case, but if you were not in the process of passing someone, and the right lane was clear, then you should have been in the right lane, not the middle lane.

Doesn't excuse his driving. When something like that happens to me I look for an opportunity to safely get even. 90% of the time I don't get the chance, but about 10% of the time I get the chance to block them in a lane or otherwise make life miserable. It's very satisfying.

 

[Zenmervolt]

I all honesty, he would likely be charged with failure to yield, but given the diagram there's also a chance that you could be charged with "failure to avoid an accident" or some similar law depending on your state. Basically, you're obligated to make an effort to avoid the accident if it's reasonably possible to do so and can be cited as partially at-fault if you don't.

ZV

 

[Zenmervolt]

I can't tell from your description (or picture) if this was the case, but if you were not in the process of passing someone, and the right lane was clear, then you should have been in the right lane, not the middle lane.

Incorrect.

When there are three lanes of traffic, the rightmost lane is properly a truck lane and the center lane becomes the cruising lane with the far left lane remaining the passing lane.

ZV

 

[Anubis]

you could be charged in his death as im positive if you pitted a durango at near 80mph it would roll quite awesomely

 

[Kelvrick]

I can't tell from your description (or picture) if this was the case, but if you were not in the process of passing someone, and the right lane was clear, then you should have been in the right lane, not the middle lane.

Doesn't excuse his driving. When something like that happens to me I look for an opportunity to safely get even. 90% of the time I don't get the chance, but about 10% of the time I get the chance to block them in a lane or otherwise make life miserable. It's very satisfying.

I could see how that is on a 2 lane highway, but I was on a 3. Doesn't that make it:
#1 = passing
#2 = staying
#3 = exiting/entering, big rigs?

Zenmmervolt: Wow, first time I typed your name and noticed it was an N. I always saw it as ZeMMervolt.

In my defense, the altima was coming up on my left and by swerving, I would have just swerved right in front of another car. Perhaps I should have added that to the diagram, but I was too lazy to make another car.

Anubis: Yes, I have a feeling the odds are that he wouldn't be just walking away from it. Just like self defense, if there is only one side of the story... Maybe if I didn't actively PIT him, but just sped up a bit and didn't give ground.

 

[MJinZ]

Who: kelvrick
Where: I-5 North in Sacramento going 75mph in lane #2with an Altima coming up in the #1 going about 80.
What: Jackass in a Durango

I understand people wanting to go fast and dbags thinking that slower traffic to the right doesn’t apply to them. But, this Durango comes out from behind the Altima to #2, then to #3 to pass me and then cuts me off on his way back to #1. This is when there is a good mile of road in front of us in all three lanes. When his rear driver side wheel passed the divider, his rear bumper had not cleared my front yet. By the time I had recovered from the instant reaction to shove myself to the left side of my lane, part of me wished I had just "pit maneuvered" the fucker. I’m sure with the wheel turned and going about 85, it would have been a very pleasant experience.

So, if I had, the result? Would I get away as an innocent driver caught up with a road rager? Get charged with vehicular manslaughter for the resulting barrel roll into incoming traffic on I-5 south going 70+?

Here is where it happened
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...=vFZbodKhgUSCJ6nCiPN0WQ&cbp=12,317.4,,0,12.65

Required picture from paint

Atari Spy Hunter version for mundane

If you're good, you could have made it seem epic and not at all your fault.

If you're not, you could be charged with a variety of things.

If you're lucky/not lucky, both.

 

[MotF Bane]

Going from your Atari-art, you'd probably be okay. Could you have slowed down to avoid? Perhaps. Could he have swerved in too fast for you to have reasonably expected such an idiotic move and avoided? Perhaps.

 

[LTC8K6]

Well, the result could mean a death and cutting you off is not a death penalty offense.

Just back off and let such morons go on their way. Report him to the police if he's really driving recklessly.

Never descend to their level. They have more experience down there and they will beat you at the game. Stay on the high road.

 

[mundane]

Thanks!

Life's too short to worry about these asshats.

 

[PingSpike]

It is best to just let it go.

That said, if I ever go on a crazy rampage you can be assured I will be driving a stolen army tank in the way I've always dreamed of.

 

[alkemyst]

pit manuever lolz.

dude, get the fuck out of the way and stay in the far right lanes.

 

[FreshCrabLegs]

Glad you're ok Kelvrick!

If you "held your line" and "maintained your speed," I'd say you'd be "not at fault" if you would have punted the d-bag.

Voted as such.

 

[soulcougher73]

I would have plowed into the fucker. Well in my dreams i would have.

 

[JulesMaximus]

If he had hit you you could always claim that you didn't think he was coming over until he hit you. Trouble is, he probably would have rolled over which could have resulted in serious injury or even death...those Durangos are horribly unsafe and probably one of the worst cars to crash in.

 

[lurk3r]

You realize that your altima is less than half the weight of the Durango right?, and a front end that's basically aluminum sheet metal vs a ~400 lb solid rear axle, you'd be lucky to survive, even in the 'best case' scenario, you'd flip him on top of yourself.

These thoughts run thru my head every single time some jackhole in a 4000lb cock substitute goes flying by me.

 

[applepearwine]

Did you "pity the fool?"