Was my sentence fair after intentionally ramming a reckless driver’s truck?

[Joe917]

This happened a couple years ago when I was 32. I was driving near a beach in a 5 mile an hour zone. The beach is on one side, and a camp ground on the other. It was during the summer so a lot of families were around. I was cruising a little slow. Maybe 3 mph. There was a guy behind me who was obviously in a hurry. He was riding my ass. He eventually sped up to about 20 miles an hour and went off the road to my left, nearly running into a family, and passed me. The bystanders started yelling at him, and I honked at him. I was enraged but was just going to drive home. My adrenaline was still really high a couple minutes later when I was driving home. I spotted the truck that passed me in a parking lot. I sort of blacked out and just ran into his truck at about 10-15 miles an hour. I walked up to his window and started yelling at him. I forgot what I said. He just basically kept denying what he did, so i walked away and sat in my truck while he called the police. So the sherrif showed up. I was honest about what I did, and I was placed under arrest. I was taken to the jail, and booked. Released the same day. I was charged with criminal mischief to the second degree. Reckless driving, and endangering another person with a motor vehicle. Something like that at least. I was convicted. Had to do 30 hrs of community service, license was suspended for 90 days. No contact with victim until my bench probation is up in July. Also a $500 fine. The cops ended up checking the cameras at the beach and the guy did in fact do what I said he did, and he got a reckless driving ticket. Not that it warrants what I did or anything.

[Masie]

That seems light in my opinion for hitting someone's property. In my state, you'd get much worse. So I would consider you lucky.

Community service and probation isn't much. Neither is the fine considering the damage was likely more.

[Joe917]

Yeah the damage was around $2,400 apparently. It was my first offense. Im guessing that's why it was so light.

[Masie]

That's good. At least you don't live where I do. I am only guessing it is worse based on what you hear.

[msc545]

If you had done this where I live, you would have been arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, which is a felony, and you would have spent some time in prison. That would have been an appropriate sentence.

[msc545]

The speeding car is a deadly weapon. You should have gotten a much more severe sentence than you got.

[exitseven]

Sometimes we all lose it tone time or another. Just bee glad nobody got dead.

[exitseven]

Thanks for the MHO

[strateguy632]

too harsh.

[strateguy632]

the sentence was too harsh.

[Soapsoaplady]

It was fair