I received email over the past year concerning my accident.  Some of it has been hate email, some of the folks that read my story felt….I was in the wrong being in the (fast) left lane.  However, I do not think they fully understood as they were reading.  As my story states, I was in the left lane as I was getting ready to make a left turn.    Some of the email has been very supportive and positive.  I am going to list some of it below for you to read.   I appreciate and answer all email I receive.  Thanks to all who have visited here, no matter how you felt about my story :) 

I still have not received any information that might lead to the man that forced me off the highway last Mother's Day.  Under hypnosis I was able to only give a description of the vehicle and a partial tag number.  Crime stoppers is offering a $1000 reward for any information that may lead to the arrest and conviction of this person.  My family is offering a reward as well.  The truck was a late model, Candy Apple Red FORD F-150.  It had a extended cab.  The license plate numbers I could recall are:  J, 2, O or 0, State of TEXAS, (not sure of the order.)  Under hypnosis, I was plunging down the embankment as the letters from the tag flew over my left shoulder.  They were moving so fast I could not see all of them.  I do remember however, that a pair of work gloves were flapping in the wind between the trucks bed and the cab.  The truck had no trailer hitch at that time.  My description of the man driving the truck is: well if I had to recall a face that would be someone we might all recognize, he looks a bit like an little older version of Ted Kazenski, with slicked back hair and well trimmed short beard.  He had on a pair of sunglasses (silver rim,) …..the kind you may see a Police Officer and/or Texas Ranger wear.   My nightmares have slowed somewhat…...but they are still there.
This accident totally rearranged my life.  One day, I am a normal teen…..enjoying my teen years, as I should, then the next thing I know, my teen years are over before they got a good start as I am a victim of, "ROAD RAGE."   
The highway on which I had my accident is very dangerous and not policed at all,  folks drive whatever speed they want.  There have been many accidents since mine.  Some resulting in death…...with no witnesses.  I wonder... do we have a new type of "killer," on the roads now?   I lived and was able to tell my story.  What about those that die, they cannot tell you what happened.  They are just written off and forgotten as: "Driver Lost Control."    My parents would no longer let me drive this highway alone. My family has put the house on the market.  When it sells they will be moving into the city.
They are doing this so my brother's and myself will not have to drive this long dangerous highway.  It is the only way out of here.  There are not any places in the area for folks to work, or colleges to attend.   The country was a great place to live while growing up, now…….I no longer want to be there and I am NOT!
I have already moved and left my family in the country - much to their disappointment.
My parents are upset that I have left, but this is what I have chosen to do.  I am staying with a friend and I will be moving into my own place soon.   I had hoped to go to college in the fall, but now I am having to work two jobs just to pay rent, etc.  My future is not at all what I thought it would be at this point.  But I will do the best I can and hopefully someday, I will be able to go to college and meet the goals I had once dreamed of.

I urge all of you learning to drive……..or already driving……..know the signs and facts on road rage.  Do not be a victim or an abuser.  Think before you act! You can alter the life of an innocent person or your own, forever!   This is a serious crime!   I believe we are just skimming the surface of information out there.  Hopefully, lives will be saved by those of us willing to share information.  Take this serious, it could save your life or the life of a loved one.   If you are in school, bring up the subject in your drivers education classes…….learn from others who have been there.  Believe me, this is no joke...

From: alicia@linkexchange.com
I just read your accident experience. Much like mine. I was going to my boyfriend's house on Christmas Eve of '97. It was a long drive over a major highway, but I liked driving & things were going well. I was in the slow lane (pretty much required for my van, it has trouble going faster than 60mph). I was passing an off ramp in Pasadena & this guy in an old Ford truck swerved out of the off ramp right in front of me. I hit the brakes. The guy speeded up & kept going. I started going again, trying to get the guy's license #. He must've noticed. He braked to a halt in front of me (while flipping me of & screaming something I didn't catch) & I nearly hit him. I managed to stop behind him & the person behind me crashed into my rear bumper. The guy in front took off. The cops never found him. The guy behind me completely totaled his car. He was 60-ish, retired & visiting his grandkids for the holidays. I spent the holidays in bed with whiplash & then in auto repair shops fixing my van (which my parents never let me drive again. As the view it, any accident I get into is my fault.). I'm ok, the van still has weird problems with the rear hatch, and the old guy who was behind me is still trying to get a new car & his back still bothers him. It's so unfair that some jerk who wanted the entire highway for his playground ruined our holidays & probably one person's life. ~Alicia
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From: alphabits1@hotmail.com
I'm doing a speech on road rage and I would like to use your story for an opener, but to do this I would need your last name. If you wouldn't mind giving that to me I would definitely appreciate it. If you don't want to that's okay too, but perhaps you could point me to some other stories like yours? Thank you in advance, Lynn
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From: DrRSKirby@aol.com
I am sorry you had such an awful experience. Thank goodness you survived pretty much intact! I would also like you to meet Jerome Tan, young man from Singapore and Switzerland, now studying in the USA, both youth leader internationally in combating Road Rage. Peyton, you are doing good work! Sincerely Richard Kirby University of Washington, Seattle
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From: ttigger@gte.net
Thank you for your inspirational story. I enjoyed it and realized how dangerous road rage can actually be. I live in San Angelo, TX. It is in west TX., about 2 hours south of Midland/Odessa. I am about to give an informative speech to my public speaking class at Angelo State University on road rage. After reading your story I was wondering if you would mind me using it in my speech. If this does not bother you, I would be greatly obliged. I would even send you a copy of my outline if you would like. I would greatly appreciate the colorful picture that you story would paint, but I also completely understand if you would rather me not use it. My name is Tara and I am a Freshman at ASU. Please e-mail me back and let me know how you feel about this. I admire your courage and thank God that you have turned such a bad experience into a lesson for others. Again thank you and God bless. Sincerely, Tara
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From: snake@cyberave.com
I just found your page while i was looking for new driving page on the net. My condolences for the loss of Betsy, Jaguar's are absolutely beautiful and I hope one day to have a Jag of my own. From what you wrote, I agree that your angels were working overtime to make sure you were ok. With how I used to drive, I earned my Angel an eon vacation... As for that other driver, one day, if not already, he will get his. My theory is to live your life the best you can, and as for the a**holes, let God sort 'em out. I've been running my own driving page for quite some time, when I started driving at 16, I was excited but for quite some time the fun and enjoyment had left me and I found myself doing some extremely stupid things while driving my old car, a '92 Plymouth. I never went as far as that (expletive) in the truck, but I did enough to scare myself. Since then I've gotten a new car, my baby, a '95 Intrepid ES. I've already been thwacked by an F-150, so we have something in common, but it only set me back $1,000 bodywork. My road rage tendencies have since passed, and now I work on ever improving strategies of dealing with road ragers. You know, having a cell phone with a flip down cover is really great, if someone is tailgating me, i just take down the phone and flip it down like i'm making a call. I don't even have to turn the thing on and they BACK WAY OFF. But I hold on to it just in case. You take care and feel free to check out my homepage at
http://www.cyberave.com/~snake
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From: SirCBarkly@aol.com
You know its sad what happened to you but I hope that you will not drive
slowly in the fast lane again.  That is really what caused your problem.
So many drives are frustrated by slow drivers in the fast lanes.  If you
want to go 55-60 do it in the right lanes not the left ones.  Again I am sorry to hear that this happened to you but you were partially to blame.  Haven't you ever seen signs that say "slower traffic keep right?" mike
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Hi My name is Michael. I hade a road rage incident 9 years ago before my daughter was born. I was trying to merge on a busy route 17 in Paramus NJ. in the fall of 1990 The HWY at this point was two lanes & I had to get into the left lane. When I realized the car I tried to merge in front of wouldn't let me in I got behind him. I was at the time 28 years old. The man put his car in park on the highway.Exited his vehicle walked up to my window & punched me in the face with a large fist sporting a diamond ring. Diamonds hurt. He broke my glasses & I was bleeding from the face The guy was about 60 years old. I was enraged. I got out of my car & since his car was still in park I decided to scream at him & among other things I said. I was going to jot down his license plate number. He said " go ahead" Stupidly I walked in front of his car & when I did he slammed into me. I was dragged for about 1/2 mile. To get me off his car ( I was caught on the door ) he struck the divider with the car. Me being in between the car & the divider. I was left in the rain with a broken pelvis lying against the median. Keep in mind there were like 50 witnesses to this & no-one got the correct license plate number. I thought I did but the police said it was wrong. I have since healed as well as to be expected. I will always have pain in rainy weather not huge pain but a constant reminder of my stupidity. The worst part is sometimes when some driver does something I feel reminds me of the incident "braking unnecessarily " or something like that I react. & want vengance. I have never caused an accident but I'm afraid it could happen. Just today some guy felt I was traveling too closely & he braked hard. I had to do the same & I almost lost control of my car. I was so mad I drove like an idiot just to get in from of him to do the same. I did ,& even though I didn't lock the brakes up or anything I felt I had to let him know not to "mess with me" Like I'm so Bad" What an idiot I am. Not only could I have caused he & I to have an accident. I could have caused an accident & injured some innocent person like yourself. The story doesn't end there. At work around three hours later my boss came down to my desk & said he needed to speak to me. Apparently another driver who witnessed the incident followed me to work & called the police.To report my driving behavior. I've been with this company for 12 years so my boss knows I was severely injured years ago & he asked how could put myself back in that position. I didn't have the greatest answer because I really don't know what causes me to get so mad when I get cut off or something. sometimes I let it go by & other times I flip out. The other driver was going to issue me a summons himself. The officer acting on the request of my boss had this third party call my boss & he diffused the situation. I believe by telling him about my past accident & by letting him know he would try to explain how important it is to find some help in relieving my obvious anxiety behind the wheel. Believe me I'm usually a nice guy.I'm the type of guy who helps stranded drivers when everyone else just passes them by. I've pushed cars out of the left lane myself when someone is stuck in a dangerous spot. I've changed tires for women even when I'm late for work. Usually it's guys that get me mad. Women can drive fast & sometimes too close to me,but for some reason I yield to them. Guys, I must take something personally & get enraged. what I'm learning is I may not only hurt myself or some other Guy that makes me mad, but maybe someone who is just passing by at the wrong time. So when I got home from work I started searching out Road Rage on Yahoo & your story was the first to match up with my search for ( road rage ) I think reading your story helped me understand that actions do lead to reactions. And consequences are real & can ruin lives. Thank You for your efforts in educating people about Road Rage. I believe your web site can & has helped save lives. Sincerely. Michael Barrow From: New Jersey.
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