Charges in road rage avoidable, police say

Motorists don't have to end up in police custody if they have an urge to rage.

Police are advising drivers to keep that in mind after a road rage arrest this week in Bartlett.

A 46-year-old local man was arrested after police said he punched out a motorist who followed him into a parking lot.

Randall Duke, of 1489 Polo Court, was arrested around 6 p.m. Monday at a parking lot near the Bartlett Aquatic Center along West Stearns Road, police Sgt. Michael McGuigan said today.

Duke was charged with misdemeanor battery after he cut off a motorist while driving, prompting that driver to follow Duke's car into the parking lot, McGuigan said.

Once there, both drivers left their cars, and Duke punched the other driver, McGuigan said.

The male victim was taken to Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield with minor injuries, McGuigan said.

Duke is slated for an Oct. 16 court date in Wheaton.

For motorists, McGuigan has simple advice.

"Avoid any conflict whatsoever," he said. "If somebody cuts you off, don't try to incite them, don't beep your horn, don't glare at them."

McGuigan said Bartlett gets two or three road rage cases a week. He also advises motorists to drive to the nearest police station if they're being followed.

At Adams School of Driving in Morton Grove, instructor Shannon Parker said classes focus on road rage, which he said ranks far behind speeding as a cause of crashes.

He suggests playing some calming music if a driver feels crippled by rage. He also advised motorists not to escalate the problem if another driver is taunting them.

"Move out of their way," Parker said. "They may be wrong, but they're not going to stop doing it."

Parker also advised not to make eye contact with the opposing motorist.

"That's like the Discovery Channel and how they try to lure a shark by putting blood in the water," he said. "That's how these drivers are."