Watch out for that pole!
A driver in Sarasota, Florida — and, no, we are not talking about a golf club — was caught on video Sunday swerving across a lane and sending a man on a motorcycle flying, injuring him.
The road rage incident escalated from gestures and a war words to the danger zone when the biker, identified as Darin Hendrickson, appeared to swipe at one of the car’s windows.
The unidentified Mazda 3 driver reacted by running the biker off the road. As you can see in the video, the biker was also dragged on the pavement for a few seconds.
This resulted in severe road rash, staples getting stuck in his leg, as well as rib and lung damage, the Miami Herald reported.
Hendrickson was taken to the hospital because it was thought that he may have suffered fractured ribs. He has been released from the hospital.
The Mazda driver left the scene. It’s not clear at this time what occurred before a camera started recording, but there is a disconnect between what the police are saying and how the public has perceived the incident.
According to ClickOrlando, the police version of the events was that “[t]he motorcyclist changes lanes and drives alongside the Mazda where the motorcyclist appears to be in a dispute with the other driver. The video then shows the motorcyclist hit the window of the Mazda before the driver swerves, striking the motorcyclist and causing him to crash on the side of the road.”
“The video was released on social media by a witness Sunday evening and is now being shared by detectives in hopes that someone can identify the suspect’s vehicle,” authorities added.
But it’s Tuesday now and the Mazda driver is still nowhere to be found, even as police investigate aggravated battery that appears to have taken place on camera.
https://www.facebook.com/SarasotaCountySheriff/posts/2169868886358325
Many on social media seem to be siding with the Mazda driver based on what they see in the video, but seeing as that driver left the scene and that police are actively seeking them for aggravated battery, there appears to be more to the story than the video tells.
[Sarasota Police Department screengrab via YouTube]
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