Los Angeles woman asks a wrong-way driver to back up. She says the driver smashed her car with a crowbar, then bit her

A Los Angeles woman says another driver smashed her car with a crowbar, struck her in the head, and repeatedly bit her after she asked the woman to back up on a one-way street. Video captured the confrontation, which began when the alleged attacker drove the wrong way down a narrow road, leaving neither driver enough room to pass.

Samantha Baez-Vargas says the incident happened around 4 a.m. on October 17, near 111th Street and Raymond Avenue in South Los Angeles. After the two drivers argued over who should reverse, the other woman allegedly got out with a crowbar and began smashing Baez-Vargas’ headlights, windshield, and driver’s-side window. When Baez-Vargas stepped out, the woman allegedly turned the weapon on her and grabbed her phone.

“I thought she would stop and she didn’t,” Baez-Vargas told FOX 11 Los Angeles. Baez-Vargas went to the hospital after the attack and said she feared for her life. Her family is now demanding an arrest, while the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says detectives have identified the suspected attacker and are working to locate her.

The argument started when neither driver could get past the other

Baez-Vargas told FOX 11 that she initially tried to explain why the other driver needed to reverse. “I told her it was a one-way street, that she could reverse because she was in the wrong, and that’s when we started screaming at each other,” she recalled. The argument continued until the woman got out of her vehicle.

In the footage, someone shouts, “What is wrong with you?” as the confrontation unfolds. Baez-Vargas told reporters the situation escalated so quickly that she didn’t know how to defend herself. “After the fact, I was in the hospital. I felt like I could have lost my life,” she said.

Baez-Vargas later showed FOX 11 the bruises and bite marks she said she’d sustained during the encounter. Her mother, Elizabeth Vargas, has since questioned why authorities haven’t arrested the woman, despite video of the attack circulating online.

“Right now, it’s my daughter. Somebody else’s daughter. “So what’s gonna happen next?” Vargas asked. She urged anyone who recognizes the woman to help authorities locate her.

What should drivers do when a road-rage confrontation turns threatening?

Road-rage incidents can leave drivers with few safe options, especially when another vehicle blocks their path. Getting out to argue with the other driver can make matters worse, but staying in the car doesn’t always mean the confrontation will end.

According to AAA, drivers should avoid making eye contact or responding to aggressive gestures, even when the other motorist is breaking traffic rules. If someone approaches their vehicle aggressively, they should keep the doors locked and windows up. Drivers who feel threatened should call 911 rather than get out to confront the person.

AAA also advises against driving home if an aggressive motorist begins following you. Instead, drivers should head toward a police station or another populated public location where they can seek assistance. However, if another vehicle blocks the road, attempting to squeeze past it or reverse into traffic could create another dangerous situation.

Of course, that advice is harder to follow when another car is blocking the road. A driver may have nowhere to turn or safely reverse, especially if the other person has already become threatening. In those situations, calling 911 and remaining inside a locked vehicle may be safer than attempting to confront the other driver.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]