Skip to content

Road rage rant

Video of Langley incident posted to YouTube site
81350langleyroadrageframegrabj


So far, more than 6,500 internet viewers have clicked on a YouTube video that shows a road rage confrontation in Langley's Brookswood area in January.

The 90-second clip was recorded using a cell phone after one driver was pursued for several minutes by an irate, foul-mouthed motorist, who complained the man with the video phone had cut him off.

Most of the comments uttered through the open window of the moving car to the driver in the other vehicle are not repeatable in polite company.

The ranting captured by the YouTube video manages to be both racist, homophobic and possibly anti-religious, with the driver of the white car declaring that the man with the camera phone looks "like the church type" in a tone that make it clear it isn't a compliment.

The angry driver also calls the man "fat" and a "goof" and several other words that have been bleeped out of the version posted on the Langley Times web site.

The man who posted the video declined a Times request for an interview when contacted by email.

However, on an internet forum devoted to four-wheel driving, the man said he started recording the confrontation after the other driver had been following him for about five minutes.

"This guy absolutely lost it on me!!" the man said.

"I was on my way to soccer practice and there was no way I was going to pull into the parking lot with him on my ass so I had to make a few turns to get away from him." The whole encounter lasted about 10 minutes, the man said.

"I took the video for potential evidence in case he hit me with his car or if he blocked me in and we did get into a fight," he said.

"I'm sure this jackass will eventually see the video and maybe he'll think twice about acting that way on the road again."

The incident does not appear to have been reported to the police.

Langley RCMP Cpl. Holly Marks said rather than use his cell phone to record the incident, the driver would have done better to use the same device to call 911 and report the driver.

"Don't try and gather evidence on our behalf," Marks said.

At the very least, the driver of the white car appears to be guilty of careless driving, said Marks, who has seen the clip.

Police suggest drivers in such circumstances should phone 911 rather than drive to a police station which may or may not have people on duty depending on the time of day.

And don't go home if you're being followed.

While the YouTube video manages to be almost funny in a disturbing sort of way, there is nothing amusing about aggressive drivers.

Langley RCMP blamed aggressive driving for the January crash that killed Jim (D.J.) Neiss of Surrey who was driving to work in the 19800 block of 16 avenue when his Ford Explorer was hit head-on by a dump truck.

Charges are expected.

And a Langley man will stand trial in September of this year in a road rage incident that created international outrage.

Brent Parent is facing five criminal counts including criminal negligence causing death in the hit and run that killed Silas O'Brien on 16 Avenue in March of 2008.

O'Brien was in his truck with two of his best friends on their way to Vancouver Airport for a vacation to Hawaii. While driving westbound on 16 Avenue, another truck ran them off the road and into a ditch.

The group of friends got out of the truck to survey the damage. Then the truck that hit them came back and ran O’Brien down.



Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
Read more