Road Rage in PA

[Beren]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04063/280552.stm

Wednesday, March 03, 2004
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A 41-year-old Monroeville bicyclist has been held for trial on charges that he tried to kill a pickup truck driver during a road rage incident last month near the entrance to Monroeville Park.

Robert Urick is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and two firearms violations in the shooting of William J. Nicoletti.

Nicoletti, 51, told Monroeville police that he was driving along Tillbrook Road when Urick, who was riding a bicycle, made an obscene gesture as the truck passed him.

Urick later told police that he reacted that way because Nicoletti had told him to get off the road.

Nicoletti said that he turned his truck around and drove toward Urick, who pulled a pistol and pointed it at him and threatened to shoot him unless he got out of his truck. Nicoletti said that Urick then reached inside the truck and shot him in the arm.

As Urick rode away, Nicoletti said he pursued him in the truck, ramming the bicycle from behind, forcing it off the road. The two men then fought briefly until Urick fled.

 

[McNutt]

That article might fuel the argument against small-calibre bullets that they won't kill anybody but rather make them angrier.

 

[genie]

there must be something in the water around pittsburgh. i went to college there and many of the crimes were just weird. there was never a simple convenience store or bank robbery. no, the robber had to be naked or wearing a tutu or something. and violent assualts usually had something that made you go ???

maybe it's the convergence of the 3 rivers that creates an aura of weirdness. but as a side effect, i'm still a steelers fan!

 

[mete]

Sounds like they deserve each other. But the minute Nicoletti turned the truck around it became a self defense case. ...

 

[lee n. field]

Nicoletti, 51, told Monroeville police that he was driving along Tillbrook Road when Urick, who was riding a bicycle, made an obscene gesture as the truck passed him.

I can't say that I blame the bicylist one little bit. There are people out there driving that are complete, utter, thoughtless _dicks_.

Examples? I've had a couple people breeze by me, horn blaring, about a foot away from me.

 

[RustyHammer]

... should have backed over him too.

 

[swingcatt]

Bad judgement all around. The situation should have never developed and I hold the biker responsible. We should hold ourselves to a higher standard of moral condunct when we have the responsibility of carrying a gun. Flipping that guy the bird, when he knew he had a gun was just asking for trouble. I don't care what kind of lewd, crude or derogatory comment the guys shouted out the window at him, he knew he had the power of life an death at his disposal and should have responded accordingly. Yes, when the truck turned around (another lapse of bad jusdgement) it became a defensive scenario, but it was one that he created for himself.

We should all make sure that we are on the moral "high road" when carrying, that way when something does happen we can succesfully (legally and morally) defend our actions and reactions.

SC

 

[Diggler]

there must be something in the water around pittsburgh. i went to college there and many of the crimes were just weird. there was never a simple convenience store or bank robbery. no, the robber had to be naked or wearing a tutu or something. and violent assualts usually had something that made you go ???

I went to high school with a guy who later robbed a toll booth wearing his underwear over his head as a mask!