A road rage incident in Abbotsford on Sunday evening resulted in a man being taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Police were called at 7 p.m. that day for a reported hit-and-run at the intersection of Gladwin and Harris roads.
When they arrived, they encountered an injured 38-year-old man and his family.
The family – a couple and their teenage son – had been driving south on Riverside Street in a grey Chrysler sedan when the driver of a red or burgundy vehicle exchanged words or gestures with the passenger in the Chrysler.
Both vehicles stopped on Harris Road just east of Gladwin Road.
The driver of the red car approached the passenger side of the Chrysler and broke the window. He grabbed a cellphone from the victim’s hand, and, as the victim exited the vehicle, he was struck by the suspect’s car as it fled.
Abbotsford Police Const. Ian MacDonald said it appears the incident began when a line of cars was stopped, waiting for a train to cross.
When the train cleared, the driver of the red vehicle allegedly began passing traffic on the right.
MacDonald said the family in the Chrysler felt they had been “dangerously cut off,” and, as they proceeded on Riverside Street, the passenger began filming or taking pictures of the red car, leading to the other driver becoming enraged.
“We do believe the suspect knew he was being (filmed or photographed),” MacDonald said.
The victim was taken to hospital, where he is recovering from serious injuries, including fractures and head trauma.
The suspect is being described by police as "non-white" because witnesses at the scene gave conflicting reports about the man's ethnicity, describing him as "Hispanic," "South Asian" and "olive-skinned." The man is also described as being in his 30s, 5’ 10” tall with a medium build.
Major crime detectives are looking to speak to anyone who witnessed the incident, and they are appealing for the other driver to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the the Abbotsford Police Department at 604-859-5225, text us at 222973 (abbypd) or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.