SWINGLE: ROAD RAGE LAWS ADEQUATE

Although road rage isn't clearly defined as a crime, existing state laws are adequate to handle most cases, said Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle.

The two or so drivers who are punished for road rage in the county each year usually are charged with misdemeanors, punishable with a year or less in jail, Swingle said.

In the state, the St. Louis area has the only city ordinance specifically defining and punishing road rage, Swingle said.

A Jackson man's arrest this week exemplifies how state laws work, he said.

The incident occurred on Tuesday when Everett P. Way, angered by the manner in which a woman was driving her car, sped up and began to ram the woman's car from behind while continuing to drive on Independence Street, police reported.

He twice ran into the back of the Tracker the woman was driving, police said.

The woman, who was accompanied by a male passenger, pulled over to the side of the street. The three exited their cars and Way began waving his fists, threatening the other two, police said. He kicked the side of the Tracker, police said.

Way, 24, of 250 S. Union, Lot 1, in Jackson, was arrested and charged with four counts of third-degree assault and one count of attempting to commit property damage, all misdemeanors.

Each of the assault charges carries punishment of up to a year in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. The charge of property damage is punishable by up to 15 days in jail, a $300 fine or both.

"By the time you add all of those up, he's looking at over four years of jail," Swingle said. "That gives a judge deciding his case plenty of time to work with."

The worst case of road rage Swingle has prosecuted so far took place about five years ago, he said.

A man became irate after he was cut off in traffic and chased the other driver. When the driver reached his home, the irate motorist fired shots at the house.

The man firing the shots was convicted of a felony, Swingle said.

Road rage is a crime that is practiced by all groups in society, Swingle said. He recalled how one of his assistant prosecutors was slapped in the face after he and an angry driver exited their cars following an event at the Show Me Center in 1987.