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SALT LAKE CITY — New video shows the terrifying moment a motorcycle driver allegedly shot a woman in the face during an act of road rage.
On June 5, the 18-year-old woman was driving a dark gray vehicle on Interstate 15 in Layton, near the Layton Hills Mall.
In the dash camera video obtained from a witness to the events that day, the suspect is seen driving the motorcycle, passing a dark gray vehicle and aiming a gun at the driver, ultimately hitting her twice in the face, according to police. KSL-TV obtained the video through an open records request to Utah Highway Patrol.
The victim managed to get off I-15 before being taken to a hospital, where she was treated for significant injuries.
According to court records, 34-year-old Daniel Bodon was eventually tracked down and arrested for his alleged involvement. He now faces several charges, including attempted murder.
How to handle road rage
The Layton road rage video comes just days after another scary road rage case captured on camera in Utah County.
On Friday, a group of friends were on their way to dinner when a man started to tailgate them and eventually began to punch their window and try to get into their car.
Police later located and arrested 28-year-old Skyler Johnston in Spanish Fork. According to law enforcement, he was found with a methamphetamine pipe and alcohol in his car, as well as meth in his pocket.
"This was a dangerous situation for those involved," said UHP Sgt. Cameron Roden.
Troopers praised the victims in Friday's road rage situation for how they handled the alleged aggression. They immediately called 911 and tried to get off the highway. And when they got stuck at a light on the off-ramp, they locked the car doors.
"They did a great job at being able to relay information, staying calm in this situation the best that they could to be able to avoid further confrontation and making the situation worse," Roden said.
He suggests people call 911 anytime they see aggressive driving. And if someone pulls out a weapon, as they did in the Layton case, quickly get space.
"At that point, we really need to let cooler heads prevail and try to separate and try to make sure things don't get worse," Roden said.
When it comes to facing road rage, every scenario is different. If you can, move over, let the driver pass and don't engage, he said.
"It happens often. The time where someone starts to retaliate or do something back like flip each other off, and now we've got that road rage situation where both vehicles are participating in the road rage scenario," Roden said.
So far, in 2023, UHP has received 328 road rage calls at six of their dispatch centers. Roden said that's just a glimpse into the Utah road rage problem because that number doesn't include other police agencies and cases reported in each city.
"Each situation is going to be different, so handling it is going to be different, so we need to make sure we remove emotions, so we think clearly and do what is safest for everyone involved," he said.
