Car vs. golf cart road rage incident ends with guns drawn
An incident report said that Union County deputies were called to Jonesville Lockhart Highway on Sunday afternoon about a fight going on between two armed men.
Deputies went to the Dollar General store, where one of the two men was waiting for them. Troopers went to the Hot Spot where the other man was located.
At Dollar General, deputies spoke to Robert Lee Young, who told them that he and his wife were driving on Highway 9 when they got behind a slow-moving golf cart. He said that as they passed the golf cart, they yelled out the window for the driver to get off the road. The couple then drove to the Hot Spot, where they stopped to get a drink.
Young, who can’t walk because of paralysis and nerve damage, said his wife went into the store to get the drinks. He said, the golf cart, driven by a man later identified as Joseph Cecil Allen, pulled into the parking lot. Young said Allen began yelling at him and pulled a gun as he walked toward them.
Young told deputies that he believed his safety was in jeopardy, so he pulled his handgun to defend himself.
“This is for a concealed weapon. It’s made for it. It’s made just for people in wheelchairs,” said Young, referring to a pouch he wears around his waist. “I keep a .45 loaded in condition one on safety at all times in this thing and it has saved my life on several occasions and other people’s lives. I also keep several other magazines in there. I’ve got 27 rounds ready to go.”
Young’s wife told deputies that she heard shouting outside the store, and saw the men pointing their guns at each other. She said she went outside and got into the car and her husband drove to Dollar General where they called 911.
It’s interesting to see the words “golf cart”, “road rage”, and “guns drawn” within the same sentence. Readers know just by the headline that things are about to get weird. By the sounds of it, Robert Lee Young (the car driver) was the more responsible gun user. He felt that life was being threatened by the golf cart loon, and he believed that the presence of his .45 caliber Hi-Point would prevent further aggression from Joseph Cecil Allen.
Deputies said Young had the right to defend himself, which he most likely did. The problem lies in the lack of evidence, even with surveillance footage, of what really happened between the two armed men. If Allen pulled his gun and walked towards Young, then he had the right to brandish his gun for defensive purposes.
It sounds like this guy has been through multiple situations that required a concealed weapon, which leads me to believe that he has some idea of when to take out his sidearm.
The real problem began on the road, and it proves that both men showed signs of irresponsibility. While he passed the golf cart on the highway, Young chose to open his mouth and yell at Allen.
Instigating confrontation should always be avoided as an open or concealed carry gun owner, including road rage. If he had just passed Allen without a word, the parking lot standoff would have never happened.
Both men need to take a few quality classes of anger management. Yoga, perhaps.
