A vehicle is partially submerged in water after crashing following a road rage incident Monday morning. (Smith County ESD2/Contributed Photo)

Authorities say two people were arrested following a road rage incident Monday morning in Smith County.

Around 7:45 a.m. Monday, a Smith County deputy saw a Ford Mustang that had ran off the road and was partially submerged in a creek.

The driver, later identified as 25-year-old Ryan Lee Huffman, was able to get out of his car. Additional units and a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper came to help.

Authorities learned the Mustang was northbound in the 5000 block of FM 2908. Huffman was driving behind a Chevrolet pickup truck pulling a trailer. The Chevrolet driver, later identified as 20-year-old Samuel Stone, began brake checking Huffman, according to the sheriff’s office.

Huffman tried to pass in a legal passing zone and Stone veered over into his lane. Stone’s truck hit the Mustang on the right side, forcing Huffman off the road and into the creek, the sheriff’s office said.

Stone was taken into custody for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Huffman was also taken into custody on an outstanding warrant out of Van Zandt County on an escape from custody charge.

Stone and Huffman were both taken to a local emergency room to be checked out prior to being booked into the Smith County Jail.

The Smith County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety continue to investigate.

Smith County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Larry Christian said road rage calls come into the dispatch center almost daily.

The terms “aggressive driving” and “road rage” emerged during the 1990s after news reports of several traffic disputes caught the public’s attention, according to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines road rage as “an intentional assault by a driver or passenger with a motor vehicle or a weapon that occurs on the roadway or is precipitated by an incident on the roadway.”

Examples of aggressive driving include speeding in heavy traffic, tailgating, cutting in front of another driver then slowing down, running red lights or stop signs, weaving in and out of traffic, changing lanes without a signal, blocking cars that are trying to pass or change lanes, and passing a car on the wrong side of the road, according to TDI.

Extreme cases of aggressive driving escalate to road rage, which TDI said can include cursing or making rude or obscene gestures at other drivers, throwing objects at another vehicle, ramming or sideswiping a vehicle, forcing a driver off the road, or physically assaulting another driver.

Only a few states have laws specifically defining and punishing road rage. Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed a bill that will make road rage shootings a first-degree felony in Texas. The bill, which goes into effect Sept. 1, came about after a fatal Houston road rage incident in 2023.

Remaining calm and courteous while you’re behind the wheel can lower your risk of an unpleasant, or potentially dangerous, confrontation with another driver. TDI recommends drivers:

• Avoid eye contact because it can increase the chance of confrontation. Just steer clear of angry drivers and ignore them altogether, if possible.

• Don’t respond to aggression with more aggression. Being reactive can only escalate the situation, so it’s best to get out of the other driver’s way as safely as possible.

• Be tolerant and forgiving. Always assume an aggressive driver’s behavior is not personal.

Aggressive drivers or those who appear to be driving with road rage can be reported by calling 311 immediately. Be sure to include the vehicle description, location, license plate number and direction of travel, if possible. If you feel immediately threatened or are concerned for your safety, call 911 to be connected with local emergency services. Continue driving and find a safe place, like a police station, hospital or fire station.

Drivers can’t have control over others who are on the road, but they can keep their own behaviors and reactions in check.

“Staying alert, remaining calm, and obeying the rules of the road can help decrease aggressive driving and avoid the dangers of road rage,” TDI said.