Road Rage Incident in South Brunswick Leads to Criminal Charges

South Brunswick PoliceA 24-year-old woman from North Brunswick has been charged with third degree aggravated assault for allegedly crashing into a motorcycle in an act of road rage, South Brunswick Police said.

Motorcyclist Erik Schmitt, 22, was thrown from his 2005 Harley Davidson motorcycle onto the road after he was struck by 2007 Pontiac driven by Samantha Lawrence on Sept. 20 at the intersection of Sandhill Road and Emerald Road. Paramedics took Schmitt to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. He was admitted to the hospital for treatment of a concussion and road rash and released after two days.

Investigators were able to reconstruct the crash and piece together witnesses’ statements to determine the crash was no accident. Schmitt and Lawrence had been involved in a road rage incident that started on Sandhill Road near Route 1. Schmitt was in front and believed that Lawrence was tailgating him. He motioned for her to back off. She passed him and skimmed the saddle bag on his motorcycle. She proceeded down Sandhill Road and slowed to make a left turn. Schmitt pulled next to her and yelled at her while smacking her passenger’s side mirror. He continued westbound on Sandhill Road and she chased him in and out of traffic. As Schmitt attempted to turn off Sandhill Road, Lawrence struck his motorcycle.

Lawrence surrendered Thursday night at South Brunswick Police Headquarters. If convicted, she faces up to five years in jail.