"Last August, a teen driver who, after a heated argument about driving too fast in the Oakland hills, repeatedly used his vehicle to try and run over three people involved in the exchange, has now taken a plea deal and a attempted murder charge has been dropped." -- Levi Reddy, 7th grade
Daniel Won, 19 years old at the time, was driving a Chevrolet Volt on the 6600 block of Girvin Drive in Oakland when he got into an argument with 29-year-old Joseph Lax.
According to the Kron4 news article, ‘‘Definitely was trying to kill us’: Arrest made in Oakland Hills hit-and-run, Lax and his girlfriend, Allyson Amaral, were driving Amaral’s sister home on the narrow road when the driver of the Volt came speeding around a blind turn, causing a near collision for Lax and the two passengers. Won was yelled at to slow down, and retaliated by attempting to drive into them three times after they exited their vehicle near the intersection of Girvin and Aitken. This resulted in striking Lax once, and his girlfriend, who was pregnant at the time, was nearly struck by the car as well. Lax suffered a broken tailbone and the incident was captured on a cellphone out of the window of a neighboring home.
Though Lax initially declined medical treatment, police were called and officers responded at 6:23 pm to Aitkens and Girvins drives in the Piedmont Pines neighborhood for a vehicular-assault report, according to charging and probable-cause documents. Soon after, investigators obtained the witness-filmed video that showed a silver 2019 Chevy Bolt accelerating at approximately 30-40 mph and intentionally attempting to strike several victims, ultimately hitting one.
The neighbor who filmed the video reportedly warned the victim, David Lax, that the Chevy was speeding toward him while Lax was unaware and he later stated that though he still got injured, the neighbors’ heads up likely saved his life. “I had my back turned initially and he would’ve nailed me going like 40 so I got it for my car just like a split-second and he actually made like a 90 degree turn around my car and still hit me, clipped me on the side, I did a full 360 and landed right on my butt and I have a fractured tailbone,” says Lax in an interview broadcasted on KPIX CBS SF Bay Area news.
Danial Won was booked into Santa Rita Jail later the next day on suspicion of deliberate, willful attempted murder and assault with special allegations of great bodily injury. He faced arraignment at Dublin’s East County Hall of Justice after district attorney’s officials filed similar charges, according to Mercury News.
On March 23, Won pleaded no contest to assault with a deadly weapon and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office dropped the charge of attempted murder, and Won will now receive two years' probation. A light punishment for the road rage offender that almost cost someone their life.
According to the Kron4 news article, ‘‘Definitely was trying to kill us’: Arrest made in Oakland Hills hit-and-run, Lax and his girlfriend, Allyson Amaral, were driving Amaral’s sister home on the narrow road when the driver of the Volt came speeding around a blind turn, causing a near collision for Lax and the two passengers. Won was yelled at to slow down, and retaliated by attempting to drive into them three times after they exited their vehicle near the intersection of Girvin and Aitken. This resulted in striking Lax once, and his girlfriend, who was pregnant at the time, was nearly struck by the car as well. Lax suffered a broken tailbone and the incident was captured on a cellphone out of the window of a neighboring home.
Though Lax initially declined medical treatment, police were called and officers responded at 6:23 pm to Aitkens and Girvins drives in the Piedmont Pines neighborhood for a vehicular-assault report, according to charging and probable-cause documents. Soon after, investigators obtained the witness-filmed video that showed a silver 2019 Chevy Bolt accelerating at approximately 30-40 mph and intentionally attempting to strike several victims, ultimately hitting one.
The neighbor who filmed the video reportedly warned the victim, David Lax, that the Chevy was speeding toward him while Lax was unaware and he later stated that though he still got injured, the neighbors’ heads up likely saved his life. “I had my back turned initially and he would’ve nailed me going like 40 so I got it for my car just like a split-second and he actually made like a 90 degree turn around my car and still hit me, clipped me on the side, I did a full 360 and landed right on my butt and I have a fractured tailbone,” says Lax in an interview broadcasted on KPIX CBS SF Bay Area news.
Danial Won was booked into Santa Rita Jail later the next day on suspicion of deliberate, willful attempted murder and assault with special allegations of great bodily injury. He faced arraignment at Dublin’s East County Hall of Justice after district attorney’s officials filed similar charges, according to Mercury News.
On March 23, Won pleaded no contest to assault with a deadly weapon and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office dropped the charge of attempted murder, and Won will now receive two years' probation. A light punishment for the road rage offender that almost cost someone their life.
