An Ohio-based driver of a tractor-trailer is now facing charges of attempted murder and other offenses after a road rage incident that occurred on Monday morning along the 90 West. Additionally, he has been charged with sideswiping another vehicle. The incident has caused concern and drawn attention to the dangers of road rage.
According to State Police, two tractor trailer drivers engaged in a road rage incident on the 90 west around 7:45am on Monday morning. Trooper James O’Callaghan explains that the incident initially occurred around the Pembroke exit but quickly escalated. The 26-year-old driver fired shots at the other truck, putting everyone’s safety at risk. Fortunately, none of the three people in the targeted tractor trailer were hit, including a 10-year-old girl who was sleeping just inches away from one of the bullets in a sleeper berth.
According to O’Callaghan, Dylan Cottingham, who is 26 years old and the suspect in question, continued driving and even hit a passenger car before being stopped by the police on Union near Walden in Cheektowaga.
According to O’Callaghan, road rage incidents occur frequently on the Thruway, often due to distracted driving or phone usage. However, it is uncommon for individuals to take matters into their own hands by shooting at other vehicles or resorting to violence instead of seeking help from law enforcement. “What is not common,” O’Callaghan emphasizes, “is people acting on their road rage in such extreme ways rather than contacting 911.”
The charges against Cottingham include attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and menacing. As of now, he is being held without bail.
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