Road rage escalated to a physical fight involving an electrified cattle prod and criminal charges in Brentwood Bay on Thursday afternoon.
Patty Winter, a cashier at the Chevron gas station on West Saanich Road near Wallace Drive, said the fight, between two men she thought were about 50, started in her store. She saw part of the altercation on security video and part in person.
“I was standing under the trees at the side of the building having a smoke,” Winter said.
“One of the guys comes in and buys smokes and the other guy comes in behind and starts beating the crap out of him. I walk around the corner of the building as they burst out the door into the parking lot and continue fighting.”
Another customer tried to intervene and stop the fight.
“The guy who started the fight goes over to his van and pulls out a cattle prod,” Winter said. “You could hear it — ‘zzzz-zzzz’ — he was trying to get this guy with it.”
Winter said the incident began at a nearby intersection, where both drivers were signalling to turn left. One made a last-minute decision to go straight and there was almost a collision.
Central Saanich police Const. Jason Sneek said the incident was reported at 1:20 p.m.
According to the police report, the fight ended when the men tired. The primary aggressor drove away, but was apprehended by police officers.
A Victoria man faces charges of possession of a weapon, assault and assault with a weapon. He is scheduled to appear in Victoria court today.
