There are plenty of lessons to be learned in the following sad story. I once de-escalated a road rage incident someone else had initiated against me, swallowing pride and suffering a scratch on the car door. Both myself and the orc drove our seperate paths away from that spot, unharmed. Plenty of folks (read guys) have to get into a pi$$ing contest. Before my incident, there was a case where a motorist came at the fellow who had been taunting him on a highway or turnpike, trying to use a Club auto locking device. The motorist was beaten into emergency room fodder with his own improvised weapon. That confrontation was on my mind.
Unfortunately, lot of other folks don't think about the consequences.
Bucks County Courier Times
Tuesday, April 27, 1999
By J.D. MULLANE
Courier Times
A local musician who wrote songs decrying violence, including the recent massacre in Colorado, is in a coma today after he was savagely beaten with a hammer during an alcohol-fueled road rage attack, Bristol Borough police said.
David Albert, 26, of Fairless Hills, was in critical condition last night at Frankford Hospital's Torresdale campus in Northeast Philadelphia, hospital officials said.
Albert, who plays bass guitar with the alternative rock band Plug Ugly, was driving home from a practice session about 12:30 a.m. Saturday with two other band members when an encounter with another motorist erupted into a violent, bloody street brawl in which the trio were surrounded by seven young men, police said.
James Galione, 19, of Bristol Borough, is charged with slamming a claw hammer sideways into Albert's head during the brawl, shattering the musician's jaw, bursting his left eardrum and causing severe brain injury, police said.
Galione allegedly fled the scene but later reported to the police station for questioning, where he was arrested. He has no prior criminal record, said Detective Randy Morris.
He remains in Bucks County prison in lieu of $500,000 bail and is the only person charged in the incident so far, police said. The case remains under investigation.
Galione admitted to investigators that he had been drinking at a party in Levittown, police said.
"We believe alcohol played a major factor in this," said police Chief Frank Peranteau.
The incident began just after midnight on Green Lane in Bristol Borough. Police said each side claims the other sparked the brawl.
Albert believed he was being tailgated and menaced by a car carrying three young men, Morris said.
The driver of the second car, who hasn't been identified by police, told officers the victim repeatedly tapped his brakes along Green Lane, then made an exaggerated stop at an intersection on nearby Wilson Avenue.
At the stop sign, the unidentified driver of the second car pulled alongside Albert and a verbal confrontation ensued, police said.
"We believe they all agreed to settle the matter in a physical manner," Peranteau said. (Jeff here - if this is so, the trio may share part of the blame for escalating the situation instead of driving away)
Meanwhile, a third car carrying four more young men, including Galione, arrived. The second car and the car with Galione were returning from the same Levittown party, Peranteau said.
There's confusion over what happened next, Morris said.
However, three weapons - the hammer used to attack Albert, a broomstick and a 4-foot carpenter's level - came from Albert's car, Morris said.
The weapons somehow ended up in the hands of the attackers, who used them to smash windows on Albert's car. (Jeff here - weapon retention was not practiced by the three)
"Perhaps, when that [third] car arrived and [Albert and his band mates] were surrounded and outnumbered, there was an attempt to even the score, like opening up the trunk to gather these weapons. And maybe they were overwhelmed and the others grabbed these weapons from the trunk of the car," said Morris.
Whatever the case, Albert and his friends tried to flee, police said, and were chased.
At some point during the melee, Galione acquired the hammer and allegedly attacked Albert, police said, leaving him bleeding and unconscious in the street.
Albert's band mates, Anthony Marino and Joseph Weston, were slightly injured in the attack.
Weston could not be reached for comment. Marino, on the advice of the Bristol police, declined to discuss the details of the events.
Albert's band was scheduled to play a benefit concert at the Trocadero Theater in Philadelphia the next day in memory of two friends and fellow musicians, John Hodges and Jason Insana. They died when their Bristol Township practice studio was destroyed in an explosion of undetermined origin.
Settling matters by violence is uncharacteristic of Dave Albert, said family and friends.
Albert wrote songs decrying violence, including one song, "Senseless Act of Violence," inspired by the Oklahoma City bombing, said fellow band member Dominic Marino.
"It's so ironic this happened. We're all about nonviolence," Marino said.
Last week, Albert began composing another anti-violence song inspired by the high school shootings in Littleton, Colo., Marino said.
Albert would try to settle matters with words, not fists, said his sister, Doreen Brinkerhoff of Fairless Hills.
"Even when he was fighting with his older brother, he would not hit back," she said. "Dave is such an anti-violent type person. He helped me raise my son, and he was always saying to him, 'There's a better way.' "
[This message has been edited by Jffal (edited April 27, 1999).]
Unfortunately, lot of other folks don't think about the consequences.
Bucks County Courier Times
Tuesday, April 27, 1999
By J.D. MULLANE
Courier Times
A local musician who wrote songs decrying violence, including the recent massacre in Colorado, is in a coma today after he was savagely beaten with a hammer during an alcohol-fueled road rage attack, Bristol Borough police said.
David Albert, 26, of Fairless Hills, was in critical condition last night at Frankford Hospital's Torresdale campus in Northeast Philadelphia, hospital officials said.
Albert, who plays bass guitar with the alternative rock band Plug Ugly, was driving home from a practice session about 12:30 a.m. Saturday with two other band members when an encounter with another motorist erupted into a violent, bloody street brawl in which the trio were surrounded by seven young men, police said.
James Galione, 19, of Bristol Borough, is charged with slamming a claw hammer sideways into Albert's head during the brawl, shattering the musician's jaw, bursting his left eardrum and causing severe brain injury, police said.
Galione allegedly fled the scene but later reported to the police station for questioning, where he was arrested. He has no prior criminal record, said Detective Randy Morris.
He remains in Bucks County prison in lieu of $500,000 bail and is the only person charged in the incident so far, police said. The case remains under investigation.
Galione admitted to investigators that he had been drinking at a party in Levittown, police said.
"We believe alcohol played a major factor in this," said police Chief Frank Peranteau.
The incident began just after midnight on Green Lane in Bristol Borough. Police said each side claims the other sparked the brawl.
Albert believed he was being tailgated and menaced by a car carrying three young men, Morris said.
The driver of the second car, who hasn't been identified by police, told officers the victim repeatedly tapped his brakes along Green Lane, then made an exaggerated stop at an intersection on nearby Wilson Avenue.
At the stop sign, the unidentified driver of the second car pulled alongside Albert and a verbal confrontation ensued, police said.
"We believe they all agreed to settle the matter in a physical manner," Peranteau said. (Jeff here - if this is so, the trio may share part of the blame for escalating the situation instead of driving away)
Meanwhile, a third car carrying four more young men, including Galione, arrived. The second car and the car with Galione were returning from the same Levittown party, Peranteau said.
There's confusion over what happened next, Morris said.
However, three weapons - the hammer used to attack Albert, a broomstick and a 4-foot carpenter's level - came from Albert's car, Morris said.
The weapons somehow ended up in the hands of the attackers, who used them to smash windows on Albert's car. (Jeff here - weapon retention was not practiced by the three)
"Perhaps, when that [third] car arrived and [Albert and his band mates] were surrounded and outnumbered, there was an attempt to even the score, like opening up the trunk to gather these weapons. And maybe they were overwhelmed and the others grabbed these weapons from the trunk of the car," said Morris.
Whatever the case, Albert and his friends tried to flee, police said, and were chased.
At some point during the melee, Galione acquired the hammer and allegedly attacked Albert, police said, leaving him bleeding and unconscious in the street.
Albert's band mates, Anthony Marino and Joseph Weston, were slightly injured in the attack.
Weston could not be reached for comment. Marino, on the advice of the Bristol police, declined to discuss the details of the events.
Albert's band was scheduled to play a benefit concert at the Trocadero Theater in Philadelphia the next day in memory of two friends and fellow musicians, John Hodges and Jason Insana. They died when their Bristol Township practice studio was destroyed in an explosion of undetermined origin.
Settling matters by violence is uncharacteristic of Dave Albert, said family and friends.
Albert wrote songs decrying violence, including one song, "Senseless Act of Violence," inspired by the Oklahoma City bombing, said fellow band member Dominic Marino.
"It's so ironic this happened. We're all about nonviolence," Marino said.
Last week, Albert began composing another anti-violence song inspired by the high school shootings in Littleton, Colo., Marino said.
Albert would try to settle matters with words, not fists, said his sister, Doreen Brinkerhoff of Fairless Hills.
"Even when he was fighting with his older brother, he would not hit back," she said. "Dave is such an anti-violent type person. He helped me raise my son, and he was always saying to him, 'There's a better way.' "
[This message has been edited by Jffal (edited April 27, 1999).]