Anyone who’s ever been behind the wheel has experienced at least one fit of road rage. Be it over a petty or major issue, we’ve been caught cussing and blowing the horn at something or someone. But have you ever experienced rage so intense that you decided to run through several blockades into a floral parade, endangering hundreds of people, and then subsequently eluding police?
This is something parade-goers witnessed recently when a 42-year-old man in his pickup truck suddenly appeared on the closed road and nearly hit startled pedestrians. Although the incident occurred several months ago, dashcam footage was only recently released by the authorities, and the video went hugely viral online in recent days.
On Saturday, 10th June, thousands of people visited Portland, Oregon, to witness the annual Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade. In preparation for the event, whose route stretched for three kilometres, several exits and roads were closed, causing heavy traffic. This road closure is what caused Sidney Mecham to lose his cool and be overtaken by rage.
In the dashcam video that prosecutors used as evidence in court, it can be seen that Mecham was frustrated by the intense traffic; he then followed it up with a flurry of profanities and honks targeted at construction workers who were tasked with blocking the road. He then drove through traffic cones and past heavy equipment that was sealing off a highway exit ramp, all the while blasting loud music through his car’s stereo.
People were sent diving for cover from the pickup truck as it leapt onto the parade route – but no one was injured. A police motorcycle and an unmarked van arrived on the scene to arrest the reckless driver, but Mecham eluded both by driving out of the parade route, running through barricades and red lights in the process. He eventually parked his car, where he was eventually arrested.
Mecham pleaded not guilty to 38 counts, including attempted assault, unlawful use of a weapon, and reckless endangerment. According to police, he was driving on a suspended license and didn’t have insurance.
Additionally, Mecham also has some history with the law, as he has been in and out of prison, and this was not his first serious offence. He is a registered sex offender, convicted back in 1999 for attempted first-degree rape and in 2016 for third-degree sodomy and third-degree sexual abuse.
Source: Global News, Insider, Oregon Live, Portland Rose Festival, YouTube
