By Megan Tench, Boston Globe
Massachusetts State Police urged drivers yesterday to behave on the highway or risk getting ticketed or arrested. The warning followed an apparent act of rush-hour road rage Friday that left one driver dead and another in jail.
“Road rage and aggressive driving is something we take very seriously, and we are not going to tolerate it,” said Sergeant David Paine of the State Police. “The safety of our drivers is of the utmost importance.”
Derek Cataldo, 21, of Haverhill, was killed Friday afternoon after losing control of his Chevy sport utility vehicle on Interstate 495 while involved in a dangerous chase with another driver, state police said.
A Lawrence resident, Myrta I. Diaz, 26, who allegedly fled the scene after she and Cataldo collided, has been arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and speeding.
It was at least the second fatal road rage incident on Massachusetts highways so far this year.
The events began at about 4 p.m. Friday during rush hour on Interstate 93 near Wilmington, witnesses told police. The Chevrolet SUV, driven by Cataldo, and a red
The SUV continued on and appeared to have had another minor rear-end collision on I-93, authorities said. The SUV continued onto I-495 north, with the Celica following, they added.
The two vehicles collided again on I-495 in Andover, the police said. This time Cataldo lost control of his car and he was ejected from the SUV after it struck a tree in the median.
Cataldo was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Police said witnesses had described seeing Diaz pull the Toyota Celica over near the crash site. Shortly thereafter, according to those accounts, she and her male passenger drove away.
Authorities also said witnesses had reported seeing Diaz’s passenger throw objects at the SUV. The passenger, whom police declined to name, has not been charged.
After the crash, State Police found Diaz at her residence in Lawrence. She is being held at the barracks in Andover on $15,000 bail and will be arraigned tomorrow in Lawrence District Court.
In January, Lynn Bader of Concord, N. H., was shot and killed in Stoneham after what police described as a road rage chase on I-93 heading into Boston.
The passenger of the second car, Jerone S. Jones, 24, of Manchester, N. H., is being held without bail on first-degree murder and weapons possesion charges.
Gwynne A. Doyle, 25, the driver of the car in which Jones was a passenger, was also arrested on a weapons charge after police allegedly found the pistol in her waistband while paramedics treated her. She was held on $10,000 cash bail. Both pleaded not guilty in Woburn District Court.
Incidents of road rage have frustrated law enforcement officials nationwide, and some states are taking greater measures.
Yesterday in Florida, for example, about 200 extra state troopers, including some who work desk jobs, were patrolling the highways and pulling over aggressive drivers. As part of an effort called Operation Safe Ride, the police used unmarked cars, video cameras, and aircraft to target drivers who tailgate, speed, and change lanes improperly.
“We have received numerous complaints from citizens and visitors regarding aggressive driving in every part of Florida, particularly in urban areas,” Colonel Chris Knight, director Florida’s Highway Patrol, said in a statement.
“We have asked the 10 troop commanders throughout the state to dedicate every resource available to identify and cite, or in some cases arrest, individuals who are placing other motorists at risk,” he said.
In Massachusetts, State Police officials said that they’ve stepped up efforts to curb aggressive driving, and that they will continue monitoring highways closely.
“We advise people to ignore other drivers if they cut you off, or make an obscene gesture, or tries to say anything to you,” said Paine. “But if you do feel threatened by an aggressive driver, we ask that you get enough information that you’re comfortable with, like a description of the vehicle,” and call local or state police.
In an emergency, Paine said, drivers can press *SP on their cellphones to call the State Police.