Driver runs over man accused of pointing gun in road rage clash, California cops say

A California man faces charges that he ran over and killed another driver who confronted him in a road rage dispute, Whittier police reported.

Jeffrey Flores, 29, of Fontana, was arrested Saturday, Feb. 11, on a homicide charge, police said in a news release.

Another driver pointed a gun at Flores, who began following the vehicle to get its license plate number, the release said.

The other driver got out of his vehicle to confront Flores, who ran him over and killed him about 3:10 p.m., police said.

Investigators told KTLA the other man began pounding on the hood of Flores’ vehicle before being run over.

Officers responding to the incident found the man dead in the street, with Flores waiting nearby, the release said. A handgun was found inside the dead man’s vehicle. Police arrested Flores.

“It was the detectives’ opinion the person had ample time to distance himself from the incident,” Lt. Sam Reed told The Press-Enterprise.

Thousands of people die every year from firearm injuries in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Firearm injuries are a serious public health problem,” officials said. “In 2020, there were 45,222 firearm-related deaths in the United States – that’s about 124 people dying from a firearm-related injury each day.”

“More than half of firearm-related deaths were suicides and more than 4 out of every 10 were firearm homicides,” according to the CDC.

Whittier is a city of 85,000 people about 15 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

This story was originally published February 12, 2023 at 9:51 AM with the headline "Driver runs over man accused of pointing gun in road rage clash, California cops say."