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Road rage leads to knockout punch in Nipomo, video

May 6, 2020

During a road rage incident in Nipomo on Saturday evening, a driver exited his pickup truck and cold-cocked two men who were reportedly harassing his children and him, knocking them both to the ground on a Highway 101 offramp.

Cell phone footage shows the pickup truck driver punching one man, who then falls and lies on the ground. The video has garnered considerable attention on social media, with most commenters sympathizing with the man on the throwing, rather than receiving end of the punches.

While on Highway 101, the driver of a minivan was trying to run the pickup truck off the road, while a passenger threw objects at the truck, witnesses said.

The truck exited the highway at Tefft Street in Nipomo, followed by the van. Two men then got out of the van and reportedly started banging on the truck. Witnesses said the driver of the pickup had children inside the vehicle.

After the man exited his truck, he knocked out the driver and the passenger from the van, possibly needing just a single punch to bring them both to the ground.

Michael Renner posted a video of at least one of the knockouts on Facebook.

“Just watched two guys get knocked out on the Tefft off ramp in Nipomo. I got out. The two guys were snoring,” Renner stated in a Facebook post.

With the two men from the van lying on the ground, the pickup driver returned to his truck. He then drove off.

Despite appearing disoriented, the men got up, returned the the minivan and drove off, reportedly chasing after the pickup with one of the minivan’s doors still open.

KSBY reports, shortly later, the minivan crashed into a fire hydrant near Southland Street and Princess Court before driving away again.

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputies tried to stop the minivan driver, but he did not pull over. Eventually, he pulled into a driveway on Widow Lane and then fled by foot.

Deputies tracked down the driver, identified as Ruben Anthony Rangel, 38, of Lompoc, and arrested him on charges of reckless driving and felony evading an officer. His passenger was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries to his face and head.

The sheriff’s office is still searching for the driver of the pickup who threw the knockout punches.


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Hi! The first photo is a photo I took of the incident, haha. My friend and I were taking the scenic route from SF to LA. The two dudes in the van were driving erratically, trying to run the truck guy off the road, and almost caused multiple accidents. They got the truck over to the shoulder at one point and tried to brake check the truck. The truck out maneuvered them. The shirtless guy was also hanging outside of the van throwing stuff, and yelling at the truck guy. Eventually the truck pulled off the freeway so we followed. I’m not sure why he got into the left turn lane when the right lane had no traffic. But the two van guys then got out, and started antagonizing the truck dude even more. The truck dude was just trying to get away. The van guys instigated everything. They were also very drunk, and they deserved what they got coming to him. Truck dude knocked them both out, which they had coming. Truck dude pulled their van off of the road, and left.


31

If you saw this happen, you need to contact the SLO County Sheriff’s Dept. and submit a statement. The guy in the white truck looks to be in the right, but he is going to need more witnesses to prove that the to drunk guys instigated everything. Your testimony could help keep this guy out of jail


9

Even in California this form of “open carry” is legal. Something for the aggressors to think about.


29

Right on Jorge!


11

No comments on the Audio? WTF are they listening to?


“If you’re buying… from large scale agriculture, you’re part of the death machine…” YIKES!


I don’t want to be no part of no death machine! ;-)


-1

From the dress of the guy on the ground, gang.members. good thing they didn’t get any weapons out could have been different.


15

LOL! Your observatioal powers and knowledge of “gang” attire are amazing. This comment indicates Travis from SLO has never left SLO and has zero clue of life outside SLO.


1

IF,iF that is an accurate account of what happened, and with no audio of what was said prior to the punches thrown, self defense possibly. The only problem I had watching it was after it was OVER, walking away, the defender became an aggressor with his chicken shit punch in the face of an defenseless person laying on the ground obviously out for the count. My question is in this world of “its never my fault” and have seen it go both ways, did the first person who got knocked out and hit his head suffer any brain injuries or were there any facial injuries with the chicken shit punch in the face of a defenseless person.


-91

“The sheriff’s office is still searching for the driver of the pickup who threw the knockout punches.”


Fine. Just don’t search too hard. Concentrate instead on prosecuting the two pricks who initiated the whole damn incident.


109

If you didn’t commit a crime, then who cares. Self defense, no worries then. But a punch to the head can easily retard or kill someone, and taxes pay for the disabled, avoidable. Ever have to patch someone up like this? I have!


-110

Getting run off the road can also “easily retard or kill someone” – better those two pricks than the kids in the car.


69

Absolutely right If they were being thugs, I wouldn’t blame him if had he gone back after knocking them out and snapped their necks. Goes to show, these types aren’t so tough unless a gun is in their hands. Excellent job to the driver of the truck!


-1

That is awesome! Screw with me and my kids are in the car, I will knock you out! Funny how the article reads though…one punch knocked them both out. Wasn’t it one punch each knocked them out?


69

Really lame response in regard to witnessing any violence or even self defense. No one wants to or needs to be in that situation, and your retort is juvenile. It’s sad how society has people who are violent in any form and people egging them on or watching idiotically doing nothing or keyboard heros like you, unless to save lives justifiably.


-124

Kevin, setting aside previous comments I’m not sure you understand how physical combat works or escalates when the blood song rings in your ears… whether you approve or not, we, and that includes you, are hard wired to react in a manner not conceived of before in a similar confrontation/situation. Reality is what it is and it’s idiotic, yet sometimes one is in a position where action has to be taken in some manner, especially, where family is involved.


44

Nice. MMA, Hwy 101 style. I’m sure the media will blame it on Covid-19 and Donald Trump.


25

Wow, gave him the right jab, and down goes Frazier.


38
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