A California mother claims a man tried to scare her autistic son with his truck, then he crashed and allegedly pulled a weapon at the scene

A California mother says a truck driver repeatedly revved his engine near her and her autistic son before turning around, approaching them again, and crashing nearby. The two ran home while calling 911, afraid the driver might confront them after the crash. The mother later claimed someone at the scene told her the man had pulled out a knife and threatened to target them again.

The woman, who posts on TikTok as @toren_wolf, shared her account of the encounter near her family’s home. Her son, Torin, described feeling an adrenaline spike afterward and needing several hours to recover. His mother says the experience has since made him reluctant to walk through their neighborhood.

The Nerd Stash reported on the family’s allegations on November 9. The driver’s reported threats and intentions have not been independently confirmed, and no official police statement establishing the circumstances of the crash has been located. The mother also did not witness the alleged confrontation involving the knife.

The driver allegedly came back for a second pass, then crashed

The first time the truck passed, the mother says she and Torin tried not to react. The driver was repeatedly revving his engine, making enough noise that both of them cringed. They avoided eye contact and kept walking, but the man allegedly turned his truck around and came back toward them.

The second pass was even louder, according to the mother. She claims the driver revved his engine again, sent black smoke into the air, and then appeared to lose control of his truck. Instead of continuing down the road, he crashed into what looked like trash cans behind them. The mother says she and Torin didn’t stick around to find out what he would do next.

Afraid the man might get out of his truck; they ran the short distance home while calling 911. They eventually returned in their car, where the mother says she recorded footage of the aftermath. By then, Torin was still trying to recover from what had happened.

When his mother asked if he was okay, Torin described having “a little bit of an adrenaline spike.” He said he would probably need several hours to regulate himself and that he felt like he had nearly died.

California law also addresses the black smoke the mother says came from the truck. Under California Vehicle Code Section 27153, drivers are prohibited from producing excessive smoke while operating a vehicle. It’s unclear whether that law applies here or what caused the driver to crash.

The mother says the driver pulled a knife after the crash

The mother says another person confronted the driver after the crash and later told her about their exchange. According to her, the driver thought it was funny that she and Torin had run away. When the person responded that his crash was funny, an argument allegedly followed.

During the argument, the driver reportedly pulled out a knife before putting it away. He also allegedly threatened to target the mother and Torin again. She did not witness the exchange, and neither claim has been independently verified.

The mother wonders whether Torin’s autism had anything to do with the encounter. She says he enjoys bouncing the pom-pom on his winter hat as a form of stimming but doesn’t know whether the driver noticed. Other parents have reported strangers mistreating their autistic children and neighbors complaining about autistic children, although there’s no evidence Torin’s disability motivated this incident.

In a November 7 update reported by The Nerd Stash, the family said they’d spoken with authorities several times. No police action has been independently confirmed.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]