Road rage is common on KC-area roads. What should you do if faced with a violent driver?
A 59-year-old Leavenworth man was found fatally shot in Lenexa Thursday in what police believe may have been a road rage incident. Master Police Officer Danny Chavez of Lenexa Police said officers are following up on tips of an exchange between the victim and another vehicle, and are investigating the death as a homicide.
But the fatal encounter is not an isolated one. Last year’s headlines, filled with stories of victims killed on roadways, highlight a grim reality: road rage incidents in the Kansas City metro are frequent, even if they don’t all end in gunfire.
Since January 2022, Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Troop A, which serves 13 counties including Jackson County, has responded to 135 road rage calls involving a handgun.
A weapon was not discharged in each of those incidents, Sgt. Bill Lowe said. Many perpetrators displayed a gun to another driver, but no one was injured.
In Lenexa, Chavez said, officers receive calls about drivers becoming violent or pulling out weapons a couple times a month. He added that very rarely do these end in gunfire.
Don’t engage
When these situations arise, Chavez advised threatened drivers to avoid the other driver by pulling off or exiting onto a side street and calling 911. Choosing not to respond to the driver’s behavior can help de-escalate the situation.
“The important thing is not to engage,” he said.
Chavez said the majority of incidents take place along major highways, where cars zoom on and off major roadways and exit quickly. He said the large amount of cars traveling these routes on a daily basis opens the door to dangerous encounters.
Former Lenexa police Sgt. Jay Richards, who retired as a traffic supervisor in December, said he noticed an uptick in road rage calls after COVID restrictions loosened and citizens began traveling more often. Frequent calls poured in about aggressive drivers, threats, and firearms on the road.
“We would get calls pretty much every day,” Richards said. “And that was just in our city.”
Most of the calls happen along interstates and highways, he said. Multiple major roadways run through Lenexa.
Before his recent retirement, Richards continued to respond to road rage calls often. He theorized the surge in violence was partially fueled by post-pandemic frustrations, economic hardships and political turmoil.
The pent-up frustration has made drivers more aggressive, he believes. But regardless of how another person drives, he warned citizens not to react. Others on the roadway could be carrying a firearm, and could choose to use it.
“Slow down, leave it alone, let it go,” he said.