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http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/hu ... 6978a0.lpf

Mayor left shaken up by road rage driver

MAYOR Patricia Gregory has been left shaken after her car was damaged in a road rage incident.

The 56-year-old Mayor of St Neots was driving home to Milton Avenue when she was hit by a car speeding in the opposite direction while trying to force another car off the road.

As she went along Crosshall Road at Wednesday lunchtime, she saw two cars flying towards her. The outside car then smashed into hers.

"They must have been doing 60mph at least - and it is only a 30mph road," she said. "He scraped my husband's car, stalled, and then set off at high speed again.

"I could not believe it and have still not got over it. I thought I was dead when I saw these cars going at speed. I couldn't have got out the way, it was very frightening."

Coun Gregory, who has an artificial knee, hip and pelvis from a car accident when she was 16, has been left shaken by the incident which happened at 1.45pm.

"I am very delicate emotionally now," she said. "We want to catch this man." She also said the road needed a speed camera.

Andy Mitchell, aged 31, was travelling through Little Staughton when he came across the other driver coming towards him, talking on his mobile. He sped through a traffic calming point, making Mr Mitchell slam on his brakes and stall his car.

Mr Mitchell, who says he was shaken too, followed the driver and overtook him.

"A couple of times he caused me to hit the curb, and as we got into Crosshall Road he started to overtake me, trying to push me across the side of the road and that's when he hit Pat's car. I just wish I hadn't turned round," he said.

Coun Gregory says the car was dirty white, had Highway Maintenance on the back, and a flashing light on top. On leaving the police station she put her chain of office back on and went to present certificates at the Upside Down Sports Club in St Ives.

The man, driving what is thought to be a Peugeot 406, was white with short black hair and a black goatee beard, and wearing a reflective jacket.

Ring St Neots police on 0845 4564564 with any information about the incident

I learned about over-reacting to an errant driver the hard way too
When you witness someone driving illegally and presenting a danger to someone else, the frustration that there is hardly ever a police officer there to witness it as well often results in a strong urge to teach them a lesson. Yet its one of the most futile acts one can embark upon and, as this tale testifies, can itself result in an actual accident.
And what happens if/when you catch the perpetrator? Do they ever apologise, admit their mistake and vow that you've shown them the error of their ways? Nah.
Let it go, hopefully Mr Mitchell has learned a salutory lesson from this.

Ah, I posted this quickly earlier because of the silly speed camera comment but didn't read it fully.

It is clear that Mr. Mitchell is partly to blame - overtaking an idiot driver is just begging for an accident, even following somebody like that is going to make them put their foot down and in this case it probably turned into a mini race.

Also this driver was on their phone and not taking any notice of traffic calming priorities, I doubt if a speed camera would change anything.

Gareth

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the incident that triggered this sequence of events you have to wonder if the other driver might have thought Mr. Mitchell was trying to attack him.

Mr Mitchell also said "A couple of times he caused me to hit the curb, and as we got into Crosshall Road he started to overtake me, trying to push me across the side of the road ". Now exactly how does someone behind you make you hit the kirb?

It sounds as though this pair are just as bad as each other and both need a bit of extra training before they kill someone. Speed cameras would make no difference to this type of incident.

Yes they would- after all, they are SAFETY cameras, not speed cameras. They would also cure leprosy, global warming and third-world famine.