A California woman has been captured on video pepper-spraying a US Army veteran in the eyes during a vicious road-rage attack. The unidentified woman, driving a Nissan Altima, cut off veteran Joe Vallely on Monday morning, apparently annoyed at his slower driving speed.
Incident Details
She leapt from her car, telling father-of-two Vallely he 'should be scared,' before spraying an orange chemical liquid directly into his face. Vallely screamed in pain and later shared photographs of his bloodshot eyes on a fundraising page, describing himself as 'deeply shaken.'
'While driving my work bucket truck down a single-lane road, I was involved in a road rage incident,' he wrote, adding that he works as a labourer laying internet cables. 'A woman driving behind me became angry, and when the road opened up, she drove around and in front of me, slammed on her brakes, and forced me to stop.'
'Before I could back up and drive away, she attacked me by pepper spraying me in the face from just a couple of feet away. The attack was completely unprovoked and has left me traumatized, afraid to leave my home, and fearful of driving on the local roads I travel every day for work.'
Location and Aftermath
According to KTVU, the incident unfolded on Wilson Avenue along the waterfront of Vallejo, a city just across the bay from San Francisco. Vallely told the outlet, 'She got me directly in the eyeballs. It felt like someone was sandblasting my eyeballs with glass.'
Vallely noted several speed bumps along Wilson Avenue that force motorists to drive well below the 30 miles-per-hour limit. He said he was driving his bucket truck slowly 'because it's big and old and heavy.' The US Army veteran stated the woman began tailgating him and flipping him off.
'She slammed on her brakes, she forced me to slam on my brakes. And there's cars behind me that almost hit me. I almost hit the lady,' he recalled. Vallely's video shows he backed his car away from the woman when she approached and did not engage with her. This did not stop her from launching the violent attack, leaving him in excruciating pain for hours.
Vehicle and Context
The Bay Area woman was driving a red Nissan Altima, a budget-brand car that became an internet meme after some owners built a reputation for reckless driving. Enthusiasts have uploaded photos and videos dedicated to 'Big Altima Energy,' typified by car crashes, police chases, and comical mistakes. The craze stems from a reckless, laissez-faire attitude to the road.
Vallely suffers from service-related PTSD, which leaves him constantly on edge. 'Life has thrown many challenges my way, but I still try to be part of my community and give back whenever I can,' he wrote on his fundraising page. 'Any donation you can make will not only help with legal fees but will also support my family and help us relocate to a safer place.' The Daily Mail has contacted Vallejo Police for more information.
