A married couple driving outside Portland, Oregon, say they were chased by another driver in a frightening road-rage encounter that was captured on their dashboard cameras. The video, taken on the morning of Sunday, July 26, has since drawn attention for the unusual and dangerous way the pursuit played out on the road.
The footage shows two views at once. The forward-facing camera captures the car driven by the man who says he and his wife were being chased after a road-rage incident, while the rear camera shows the other vehicle following close behind. What makes the clip so striking is that the suspected road-rage driver was following in reverse.
In the recording, the man can be heard calling 911 and pleading for help, telling dispatchers that it looked like the driver of the other car was reaching for a gun. His alarm grows as the situation escalates and the other vehicle refuses to break off, keeping pace even as he tries to get away.
At one point the man says he has to make a U-turn because the other car is blocking the road. Despite his efforts to escape, the other vehicle keeps pursuing him. Police say the driver went in reverse for over a mile, weaving through traffic and even approaching a red light while still traveling backward.
Seeking safety, the couple ended up driving straight to the Beaverton Police Department. Officers there say they quickly tracked down the other driver and took him into custody, bringing the drawn-out confrontation to an end without anyone being hurt.
The man arrested was identified as 29-year-old Armin Hastings of Beaverton. He now faces reckless driving and menacing charges in connection with the incident, according to police, who described the episode as a case of road rage.
Officers also said they found a black airsoft handgun inside the suspect's jacket pocket. While that weapon was not a firearm, its presence adds context to the fear expressed by the couple during the 911 call, when the man believed the other driver might have been reaching for a gun during the pursuit.