A dark road at night, a car of young students, and a crazed P-plater hell-bent on exacting some petty revenge - the elements of a terrifying Wollongong road rage incident that has left its victims shaken even two months later.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"I thought we were going to die," said driver Anthony Carroll, after being trapped and confronted by an incensed driver.
His crime? Sticking to the speed limit.
Mr Carroll, 22, had wife Shenae, her sister, and a friend in the car on the night of September 19.
Driving to go shopping at Fairy Meadow, Mr Carroll was on Foley Street at Gwynneville when a green car attempted to overtake on a bend.
"It's a 90-degree corner, so I slowed right down," Mr Carroll said.
"Then this white ute appeared behind us."
Mr Carroll's car, travelling at the posted speed limit, was then tailed closely by the white Toyota ute with green P-plates.
The ute tailgated Mr Carroll's car over the University Avenue bridge, speeding up and almost hitting the car's bumper several times, urging him to go faster.
It was at this point Mrs Carroll took out her phone and began filming.
"It was a full moon, the crazies come out. I was just doing the speed limit, but I think that aggravated him," Mr Carroll said.
Mr Carroll can be heard in the video reassuring his passengers, but the most shocking moment was still to come.
As the two vehicles neared a roundabout on University Avenue, the white ute veered to the wrong side of the road, cutting in front of the Carroll's car and blocking the road. The green car that initially tried to overtake then stopped behind, blocking them in.
"I thought we were going to die. He could have had a knife or a gun, I didn't know," Mr Carroll said.
The driver of the ute, a young man in a high-visibility shirt, got out and strode to the car.
"Why are you being a dickhead?" the man yelled.
Mr Carroll spied a gap and hit the accelerator, escaping before the situation escalated further.
"I thought we were under a gang attack, both those cars blocking us," he said.
Even now, two months on, Mr Carroll is still on edge. He now carries a camera in his car at all times in case of similar incidents and said he feels less confident behind the wheel.
"I'm anxious when someone is driving close behind me."
Wollongong police are investigating the incident.
As this incident is subject to a police investigation, comments have been closed.
