CHARLOTTE (WCNC) -- A family's ride took a terrifying turn during a road rage incident Sunday afternoon.
The victim told NBC Charlotte one of the suspects pulled a knife, after a dispute at a stop sign. To make things worse, several children were inside the cars at the time.
It happened at around 4 p.m. on Sunday on Cedar Tree Lane. One of the victims said another driver blew a stop sign and almost hit them.
That’s when the victim said he honked the horn at the other car. It didn’t take long to turn violent from there.
“This guy just about to run a stop sign, so I blow the horn,” said Raul Ortiz.
For Ortiz, the stakes were high. He said he had family members in his car and in the car behind him.
That included three girls ages three, seven, and 14. All the while, Ortiz said the other driver began following them and cutting them off on the road.
“My step son pulled beside me and asked me if I was OK,” Ortiz told NBC Charlotte.
That’s when Ortiz said the other driver got out of the car.
“I got out of the car and said, ‘Listen, there's kids in the car’, that's when things started going off,” said Ortiz.
Moments later, Ortiz said the other driver started fighting with his family members, even swinging a punch at his wife.
“About to punch her in the face, and that's when I walked toward him and he started swinging at me,” said Ortiz.
As road rage cases often do, it escalated once again. Ortiz said a passenger in the other vehicle then pulled out a knife.
“When you see some type of arms, the first thing you think is your family and I was going to defend that no matter what,” Ortiz told NBC Charlotte.
Ortiz said shortly after the suspect pulled out a knife, someone yelled the police were coming. He said fortunately the suspects took off before anyone was seriously injured.
“I just thank God someone called out the cops are coming,” he told NBC Charlotte.
Police said no arrests have been made at this point. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600
