Road rage ends in vehicle hitting man

A Timaru man who diffused a ‘‘threatening situation’’ by ramming his car into a man wielding knuckle dusters has had his actions labelled ‘‘disproportionate’’ by a judge.

Hayden Paige Walker, 24, was sentenced to five months’ community detention, 75 hours’ community work, disqualified from driving for 12 months, and ordered to pay $1000 reparation when he appeared before Judge Joanna Maze in the Timaru District Court on Thursday, having admitted dangerous driving causing injury.

The confrontation between Walker and his victim, who he did not know, kicked off when their vehicles stopped side-by-side at a red traffic signal in Christchurch in September last year.

After the light changed, the vehicles began travelling close beside each other – so when the lanes merged, Walker’s vehicle nudged the victim’s as he pulled back.

The defendant’s passenger-side wing mirror shattered, and damaged the victim’s driver-side door, police prosecutor Toaiva Hitila said.

There was a further collision and

Walker tried to shake the victim by doing a loop around several innercity streets but his pursuer persisted.

The defendant then stopped and the victim parked behind him.

Walker’s two passengers and the victim and his passenger exited their vehicles. As a ‘‘verbal and physical altercation’’ ensued between the four men, the defendant did a U-turn to face his car towards the group.

He ‘‘accelerated heavily’’ into the victim and lifted him onto the bonnet, tossing him onto the footpath and into a concrete wall with a hard swerve.

‘‘The victim suffered an extensive break to his left forearm. The broken arm required surgery,’’ Hitila said.

‘‘In explanation, the defendant stated the victim was about to strike his friend with a knuckle duster. Fearing for his friend’s safety, he deliberately struck the victim with his car.’’

Judge Maze said while the victim ‘‘showed a determined effort to pursue you and a confrontation’’, Walker’s response was ‘‘disproportionate’’.

Defence lawyer Thomas Nation said the incident had been a ‘‘significant wake-up call’’ for Walker.

‘‘He is really looking to reestablish himself.’’