Had children in the car

Father threatened with gun in Christmas traffic

Several patrols stopped the 36-year-old near Salzburg (symbolic image)

(Bild: APA/Hans Punz (Symbolbild))

Emotions boiled over in pre-Christmas traffic on Monday: after a 19-year-old man allegedly tried to overtake in a dangerous manner, a father (36) threatened the other man with a gun in Haid (Upper Austria). The suspect was only stopped by several patrols near Salzburg - he was traveling with his children.

Not even Chris Rea's reassuring "Driving Home for Christmas" would have helped: A Turkish man (36) from Salzburg was driving along Kremstalstraße late on Monday evening at around 10 pm. Suddenly, a 19-year-old Afghan tried to overtake him, which made the 36-year-old feel endangered.

Weapon drawn at traffic lights
An argument then broke out at the next set of traffic lights. The Turk suddenly pulled out a gun and threatened the Afghan with it. Then, as if nothing had happened, he drove onto the A1 Westautobahn in the direction of Salzburg. 

Stopped by several patrols near Salzburg
The 19-year-old alerted the police, who assumed that something had happened. Several patrols searched for the 36-year-old's car and caught up with him. The pursuit only ended at the Eugendorf highway exit near Salzburg, where the thuggish 36-year-old was stopped by several police and civilian patrols as well as the Rapid Intervention Group (SIG).

Dragged out of the car in front of children
However, the Turkish man was unperturbed by the superior police force: after the police confronted him, he had to be dragged out of his car by the officers using physical force. He had not been traveling alone, but had six passengers with him, including some children. The officers also found a stun gun disguised as a flashlight and a switchblade knife in his car. On top of that, the weapon in question, which turned out to be a blank-firing pistol, including firecrackers. 

Confessed
When questioned, the 36-year-old confessed to having shown the weapon due to what he considered to be a dangerous attempted overtaking maneuver at the intersection. He was given a provisional weapons ban and will be charged.