RYAN CHANTHAVONG - 4 yo - Sacramento CA

Four-year-old boy killed in road rage incident

Updated: 2/13 10:16 am

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A four-year-old boy has been killed in what authorities are describing as a road rage incident involving his father and a second driver.

The Sacramento Bee reports the boy died after his father, 26-year-old Joe Chanthavong, crashed his car as the second driver followed him and he tried to make an abrupt exit from Interstate 5 in Sacramento Saturday afternoon.

California Highway Patrol Officer Lizz Dutton says that when Chanthavong lost control of his car, it went down an embankment.

The boy, who was not properly secured in a child restraint seat, was thrown from the car and killed.

Chanthavong and the child's mother, 23-year-old Melinda Phouglonghong, who was also in the car, suffered minor injuries.

The driver of the second car drove away.

The CHP says Chanthavong did not have a driver's license.

A toxicology report and possible charges are pending.

Information from: The Sacramento Bee, http://www.sacbee.com

RYAN is the little boy's name.

"Joe Chanthavong says he mistakenly cut off a black pick-up merging onto I-5, adding the driver of the truck was extremely upset about it.

"They were swerving across the lanes, tailgating us, trying to bump us, they wanted us to crash," said Phouglonghong.

Chanthavong tried get away by cutting across multiple lanes of traffic hoping to exit at Garden Highway, however, he was going too fast, and his Accord went off the road, rolled and ejected everyone inside.

Ryan was not responsive when paramedics arrived.

"All I wanted was for them to leave us alone," said Phouglonghong.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Chanthavong doesn't have a license and his son was not properly in a car seat at the time of the crash.

CHP says charges against the Chanthavong are pending the investigation and that they are still searching for the black truck involved.
http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-road-rage-parents-we-had-no-choice-20120212,0,3986110.story