The Summit County Sheriff’s Office says what started as road rage ended in assault at Junction Commons, formerly Outlets Park City, Nov. 9.
“The victim reported that they had been driving their vehicle on Kilby Road when another vehicle behind them started tailgating them, honking, showing some aggressive behavior,” Sgt. Skyler Talbot said.
Kilby Road’s speed limit drops to 25 mph as it approaches the outlet mall.
The second driver followed the first into the parking lot and confronted them. Talbot said the tailgater was leaving when the first driver started recording on their phone.
“He was upset that he was being filmed and questioned why the victim was taking photos of him,” the sergeant said. That was when things turned physical.
“The suspect … punched the victim in the ribs and threw his phone to the ground and then pushed the victim to the ground,” Talbot said.
After reviewing cell phone footage and interviewing both parties, deputies took the tailgater to jail for the alleged assault and interfering with a communication device, the first driver’s phone. The suspect spent the night in jail but hadn’t been charged as of Tuesday.
The incident is similar to another road rage incident in Park City. A cyclist accosted a driver for allegedly passing too close on Park Avenue in late September.
Both were ticketed but the driver’s infraction was later dropped after city attorneys reviewed his dash cam footage.
The driver also recorded the confrontation on his phone, and it went viral online.
When KPCW spoke with Talbot about that incident, he said the sheriff’s office is projecting nearly 10% more “attempt-to-locate” calls this year than in 2023. Those are when deputies are asked to find a vehicle on the road.
ATLs could be related to a number of issues, but Talbot said “many of them can be attributed to aggressive driving and road rage.”
“Especially being in the Park City area, unfortunately, our roads are congested, just like everywhere else,” Talbot said. “It's just not the time to become upset.”
He recommends, for drivers who get angry, to take a break or otherwise calm down before they respond criminally.
A new Utah law went into effect July 1 making road rage a criminal enhancement. That means drivers charged in road rage incidents will face harsher penalties.
Assault is at least a class B misdemeanor in Utah, carrying up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. With the road rage enhancement, the suspect in Friday’s case could face up to a class A misdemeanor, with double the jail time and a $2,500 fine. It could be a felony, depending on the victim’s injuries.
In this case, Talbot said the victim did not go to the hospital for medical attention.
