Cyclists claim 72-year-old Jerry Ross used his Honda Pilot to hit two riders. Cellphone video caught the plate and helped deputies quickly find him. Ross now faces charges of aggravated assault, hit-and-run, reckless driving, and more. Road rage is just objectively one of the dumbest activities one can engage in. Often, though, the result is little more than a spike in blood pressure and perhaps a damaged ego. In this case, it led the driver of a Honda Pilot to jail, facing several serious charges. It also made the cyclists he was allegedly angry at look nearly as reckless in the process. According to WSBTV, authorities in Cherokee County, Georgia, say 72-year-old Jerry Ross of Woodstock pulled up behind a group of 10 cyclists on Sugar Pike Road, laid on the horn, then aggressively passed them in his Honda Pilot despite having an empty oncoming lane to use. Instead of giving them the legally required room, deputies say he struck two riders and then fled the scene. Read: Mercedes Driver Road Rages Against Cyclist, Gets Served Justice One of the cyclists, Scott Hager, summed it up simply, saying, “This guy was angry.” Cellphone video showed the Pilot making contact with at least one rider. More importantly for investigators, it also captured the SUV’s license plate. Deputies used that to track Ross to his home, where they reportedly found damage on the passenger side consistent with the crash. When offered the video, he allegedly said he didn’t need to see it because he knew he had done nothing wrong. Video Reddit That’s not how the law sees it. In Georgia, cyclists have the same right to use the road as motorists, and drivers are required to leave at least three feet of distance when passing. That said, this entire situation feels like one where just about everyone made bad choices. A few weeks ago, two professional cyclists faced off against what they said were road-raging drivers in California. The big difference there was that they got out of harm’s way to the extent they could during the encounter. But in this case, it appears the cyclists might have believed in strength in numbers, or they simply didn’t have good situational awareness. Having ridden hundreds if not thousands of miles around traffic myself, when a car is this close, getting away from it isn’t that tough, even with other riders nearby. That all said, there’s no excuse for Ross’ behavior. Hopefully, everyone involved here has learned a valuable lesson. Road rage is purely for the dumb at heart. Credit: Scott Hager
