This browser does not support the Video element.
Figures show road rage shootings more than doubled in Arizona during recent years
Road rage shooting has become a bigger problem for Arizona drivers, and FOX 10's Nicole Garcia spoke with members of a family that was deeply impacted by a road rage shooting.
PHOENIX - In 2021, a record number of road rage shootings were reported across the country, and in Arizona, the number of incidents has more than doubled in the past four years.
According to figures, 267 incidents were reported in 2018, and in 2021, there were more than 600 reports of road rage. From January to March of 2022, law enforcement officers have reported more than 170 road rage incidents.
"From 2020 to 2021, we saw a 22% increase," said Alberto Gutier with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. "During the pandemic in 2020, less people on the road, so less incidents. People are now driving more aggressively, and reckless."
A new report by a gun-control advocacy group found that on average, 44 people a month are shot and killed in road rage shootings across the U.S.
Arrest made in latest Arizona road rage shooting
The most recent road rage shooting in Arizona happened along I-17 in Phoenix, when one driver fired a BB Gun at another car.
On April 7, officials with DPS announce they arrested a suspect in that incident.
According to investigators, 60-year-old Frank Corkum was driving north and trying to pass another vehicle when he fired a pellet gun, shattering the other car's window. According to court documents, Corkum admitted he lost his temper, and meth was also found in his car.
No one was hurt in the incident, and Corkum is now facing aggravated assault and drug possession charges.
Family of man killed in 2021 road rage shooting speaks out
Stacey Wales' brother was killed at a Chandler intersection in November 2021, after a driver filed several shots at him while at a stoplight.
"It's a series of bad choices," said Wales. "It's a series of impulsive reaction."
Wales says the tragedy has affected her own reactions on the road.
"We have absolutely, consciously said on many occasions, 'it's not worth it. Let them pass, pull over, or even just take a side street.' We didn’t intend to let that person have their emotions in their own car, and continue on their own way," said Wales.
Other Top Arizona Stories
Only 3 women are on Arizona's death row: Who are they and what were they sentenced to death for?
Currently, an overwhelming majority of the people in Arizona's death row are men, with only three women amongst them. Here's what you should know about the women who have been sentenced to death in Arizona, and what they did that led to them being sentenced to death.
Woman runs over couple with car during an argument and kills a 79-year-old man, police say
Police in southern Arizona arrested a woman suspected of running over a couple with her car during an argument in March, killing a 79-year-old man.
2 GCU students killed in crash on I-40 near Arizona border
GCU identified the victims as Chelsea Nicole Valladares, a 21-year-old senior from Harbor City, California, and Kelli Ingle, a 22-year-old senior from Albuquerque.
Tune in to FOX 10 Phoenix for the latest news
This browser does not support the Video element.
For the latest local news, download the FOX 10 News app