WARNING: The above video of the Florida road rage incident features graphic language; viewer discretion advised.
It’s all fun and games until the shots start flying. In a video that proves sometimes everyone is seemingly wrong, a Florida road rage incident led to bullets flying on a busy highway. And all of it was captured on dash cam.
Florida Road Rage Incident Spawns Shooting
We’re not really sure what initially caused the road rage. It appears one car speeds and cuts another off several times, with birds flying and plenty of taunting going on in both directions. We’ll refer to the speeding car as “Speedster” for simplicity. The driver of the car filming the incident was identified as Marco Mazzeta; he posted the video to clarify things.
Initially, it appears Speedster tailgates, trying to get around Mazzeta. When they finally reach a highway, Speedster still tailgates, prompting Mazzeta to brake check him. Instead of braking himself, Speedster nudges Mazzeta’s bumper and then flies around Mazzeta. Speedster even jerks his car into Mazzeta’s lane.
About 20 seconds later, either Mazzeta speeds up to catch Speedster, or Speedster slows down. It’s at that point that Speedster lowers his window and points a pistol at Mazzeta. This is when things get dangerous. Speedster then passes Mazzeta again with the gun pointed. In response, Mazzeta pulls a pistol of his own and opens fire at Speedster through the windshield. He fires four shots in total, none appearing to strike Speedster’s car. From there, Speedster takes off for good and Mazzeta pulls off the highway and reportedly calls the police to report the incident.
“I’m not a fan of guns; I’m a fan of not getting shot,” Mazzeta said. “… I know this video doesn’t capture my smartest moments but I hope any idiot criminal with a gun watching thinks twice before loading, brandishing and aiming their firearm at someone over a traffic infraction.”
Breaking Down the Florida Road Rage Incident
We get views of the front and rear views of everything. The teachable lesson here, it appears, centers on knowing when to disengage. Both parties should have avoided the conflict. Even before anyone pulled a pistol, one of them should have taken an exit and avoided the confrontation. Depending on the state, especially, law might not be in anyone’s favor here. But at the very least, avoid a shootout on an open highway.
The footage shows a remarkable sequence, one that obviously endangers life on a large scale. Was Mazzeta right to open fire in self-defense? Maybe. But on a highway like that with other cars in the vicinity, it was pretty dangerous. Thankfully, nobody was hit by the gunfire. But it sure seems like a lot of wrong on both sides got us to the point of bullets flying.