Road rage compelled man to follow car for miles then beat the driver, NC cops say

A terrifying case of road rage prompted a man to follow a woman’s car for miles so he could attack her with a “baton-like metal pipe,” according to investigators in Matthews, North Carolina.

The assault happened around 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, near Chesney Glen Drive in Matthews, and a suspect has been arrested, Matthews police said in a Feb. 23 news release.

“Upon officers’ arrival, they spoke to the victim, who stated that she had been assaulted by an unknown man who had followed her for several miles after an earlier verbal road rage incident,” police said.

“She stated that when she parked her car and got out, the man approached her car and broke out one of her windows with a long, hard object, described as what officers carry. The victim stated that the man then started to assault her with this object by striking her in the head, neck, and arm before fleeing the scene.”

An investigation led to 61-year-old James Frederick Washer, of Charlotte, being identified as a suspect, police said.

He was arrested Monday and charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and injury to personal property, police said.

A search warrant revealed “a collapsible baton, as described by the victim in this case,” was in the suspect’s vehicle, police said.

“Please always call 911 immediately and keep driving if you’re being followed until police telecommunicators can instruct you on what to do,” Matthews police said.

Matthews is southeast of Charlotte.