A shocking road rage incident has concluded with no police action taken against a driver who rammed into another vehicle and then struck its occupant, primarily due to the victim’s use of expletives. Businessman Lee Holmes, 53, was left incensed after authorities decided to close the case, citing his “behaviour (shouting and swearing)” as a contributing factor.
Dramatic Confrontation Captured on Video
The dramatic events unfolded as Mr. Holmes pursued a red car that had twice reverse-rammed into his vehicle. While his partner drove, Mr. Holmes recorded the incident on his mobile phone. As the red car stopped, Mr. Holmes was heard telling his partner, “Just block him there,” before exiting the vehicle to confront the driver. During the confrontation, he directed expletives at the other driver.
As Mr. Holmes approached the stationary red car, he was heard shouting, “Yeah, you f***ing c***.” Immediately after, the red car’s engine roared to life, and it deliberately struck Mr. Holmes’s legs, sending him to the ground in pain. As the car sped away, Mr. Holmes yelled, “You f***ing b*stard,” and instructed his partner to call the police, exclaiming, “Did you see that?”
Police Decision Sparks Outrage
Despite providing video evidence and the offending vehicle’s registration number to Cleveland Police, Mr. Holmes received notification weeks later that the case was being closed. One official statement indicated: “The video of the incident also shows the driving of your partner, and your behaviour (shouting and swearing).”
Mr. Holmes, who runs a residential lettings business and is a former chair of the South Tees Conservative Association, expressed his disbelief. “Of course I was shouting and swearing, who wouldn’t be in that situation,” he stated. “This man had twice rammed into our car and then tried to get away. I obviously wasn’t happy about this, and I wanted to ask him why he had behaved like this and get his insurance details.”
He added, “I’m quite northern and quite sweary but that can’t be an excuse for not taking any action against this man. The police have all his details and they’ve done nothing.” Mr. Holmes, who holds a degree in criminal law, emphasized the severity of the incident: “A driver deliberately crashed into us and then tried to run me down. From my understanding, there are a number of things the police could have charged him with. Instead, they’ve got a problem with me swearing and shouting, which is ridiculous.”
Injuries and Civil Action
The incident, which occurred in February, began after the other driver cut off Mr. Holmes’s vehicle, prompting his partner to honk the horn. This was followed by the deliberate ramming. Mr. Holmes sustained a cut to his head and bruising to his elbow and hip. He remarked, “If I’d landed on my head I could have been seriously injured or even killed and I’m lucky that didn’t happen.”
A request for a review of the decision to close the case was rejected, with police claiming it did not “meet the evidential threshold test.” Mr. Holmes, a retired tax inspector and former Conservative Association chairman, stated that he has now initiated civil action against the other driver’s insurance company and continues to urge the police to reopen their investigation.
Police Statement on Investigation
Cleveland Police issued a statement acknowledging the investigation: “Extensive enquiries were carried out as part of the investigation. A counter allegation was also made which was investigated. It was deemed there was insufficient evidence to progress and the decision was made to close the case pending any further information. This decision was reviewed internally and again through the Victims’ Right to Review process, and the decision was upheld. Complaints can be made via the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).”
