Violent road-rage incident ends in Peninsula woman’s arrest

PALO ALTO — A driver was arrested on suspicion of crashing into another car and pepper-spraying its occupants in a road-rage incident over the weekend in Palo Alto, police said.

The incident was first reported around 5:45 p.m. Saturday in the 700 block of Embarcadero Road, near Middlefield Road, according to the Palo Alto Police Department.

One of the victims, a man in his 20s, told police he was driving eastbound with his family and trying to change lanes to make a left turn. However, a driver in a gray Nissan Sentra would not let him over and sped up to keep him from changing lanes.

After stopping at a traffic signal, the driver of the Nissan made a U-turn and hit the victim’s vehicle, police said.

The driver of the Nissan got out and threatened the man, police said, adding that she hit the victim with her keys and pepper-sprayed him. One of his passengers, a woman in her 20s, got out and was also pepper-sprayed, according to police.

Police said the couple’s four children — ages 9, 4, 4 and 1 — were exposed to pepper spray.

Palo Alto Fire Department personnel provided medical aid to the family at the scene.

The driver of the Nissan left the scene before officers arrived, but she was identified as a 26-year-old South San Francisco woman and taken into custody without incident Sunday.

Police said the woman was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful use of tear gas, both felonies, as well as child endangerment, criminal threats and driving with a suspended license. She was booked into Santa Clara County jail.

Anyone with information related to the case can contact the police department at 650-329-2413. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call or text 650-383-8984 or email paloalto@tipnow.org.