BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — A man was sentenced to 13 years in state prison for a violent road rage incident in 2020 that forced a couple to land in a water canal, announced the Kern County District Attorney’s Office.
Abel Rodriguez Almanza was convicted last month of two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of reckless driving. In a separate case, the court found Almanza guilty of a prior strike conviction for carjacking, which qualified him for an elevated 13-year sentence, officials said.
The incident dates back to June 23, 2020, when Almanza pursued the victims, a married couple, for several miles after becoming enraged during a merge in traffic on Highway 99.
Following the initial confrontation, Almanza continued to follow the victims off the freeway and onto surface streets. In the chase, he aggressively targeted their vehicle and ultimately drove his SUV into the victims’ car as they tried to make a lawful right turn onto South H Street in Bakersfield, said prosecutors.
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The crash caused the driver of the victim’s vehicle to lose control, cross multiple lanes of traffic, and land in a canal filled with water. The vehicle became partially submerged, and both people were forced to escape through rising water. No injuries were reported.
Evidence presented in the trial showed that Almanza admitted to law enforcement that he was in “road rage mode” and that he struck the victims’ vehicle during the encounter, said the DA.
District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer commented at the time of the conviction: “Road rage is not just a momentary lapse in judgment – in many cases, it is a crime. Allowing anger to override reason and using a two-ton vehicle as a deadly weapon can result in catastrophic consequences. This conviction for assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving reflects our community’s commitment to protecting innocent drivers from senseless violence.”