Story Created:
Mar 27, 2008
Story Updated:
Mar 27, 2008
Woman Remembers Road Rage Incident
Courtny Gerrish
Katie DeLong
GREENFIELD - Road rage in Greenfield: a man cut off another driver and then tried to grab her cell phone.
He doesn't feel sorry about what he did, but she's upset.
Now, you get to hear both sides of the story.
While he doesn't feel guilty, Gerald Oesterreich does admit what he did was wrong. He's been cited for disorderly conduct.
"I just saw anger and hatred,” Vanessa Vara-Ramos said.
Vara-Ramos was driving home from work, talking on her cell phone, when a man drove his car in front of hers...and slammed on his brakes.
"She was taking up two lanes and she was talking on her phone,” Oesterreich said.
"She should have been paying attention,” Oesterreich said.
Oesterreich admits he cut her off, but claims she was driving recklessly. Then, he got out of his car and started yelling.
"Don't you know you're not supposed to be on your phone and driving,” Vara-Ramos remembers.
Vara-Ramos also told police he swore at her and used a racial slur.
"I never said anything about race, she's making that up,” Oesterreich said.
During the confrontation Vara-Ramos called 911.
"There was a struggle where he was actually halfway in my car trying to take my phone from me,” Vara-Ramos said.
"I was going to take her cell phone from her.. I don't even know if I touched it,” Oesterreich said.
She followed him to a store parking lot and waited for police. The experience is something
Vara-Ramos still can't shake.
"I envision how he looks in his face and it hasn't left me,” Vara-Ramos said.