What legal action can I take against someone who threateningly followed me in my car for several miles?

Question

Here is the extended version of what happened.
Upon leaving the parking lot of a Wal-Mart at night the car beside me (which was facing out of the parking lot instead of in) started up before I did. I waited to let them pull out of their spot but they didn't so I went. As I backed out the driver was leaning into his windshield looking at me and mouthing "B*tch." I pulled away and they (there was a passenger in the car) swooped around me at a very fast speed and then slowed down in front of me. We happened to be traveling the same interstate afterwards. They would slow down to below the minimum speed limit so I would try to pass them and then speed up to 'race' me while yelling expletives out their window. I then decided to just stay behind them no matter how slow the speed and then they would go into the other lane to be beside my car so the passenger could swear and make obscene gestures at me. At one point the passenger threw her lit cigarette onto my vehicle.

They then slowed to get behind me and followed me as I took my exit. They stayed behind me when I turned onto my the street where I live. Because I'd be coming to an empty house, I didn't turn into my driveway for fear that they might follow me. Eventually I called the police and had an officer meet me at the local police station. The vehicle turned onto a side street before I encountered the police. I told the officer all about the vehicle and I managed to get the license plate number. The officer even told me to whom the vehicle was registered. At the time I told the officer that I didn't want to press charges because I didn't want these people to know who I am.

I'm not really afraid anymore. So I want to know what legal action I can take. They didn't attempt to run my vehicle off the road when they were behind me but they followed dangerously close and flashed their headlights so severely that I could scarcely see where I was going. They definitely could have caused an accident, but there were no witnesses as even the interstate had no traffic at that hour.

I want to know: What action I can take
What action I could have taken had I not declined to press charges initially
What should happen to these people legally
What will ACTUALLY happen practically.

Thanks so much to anyone who answers! I could tell that local police didn't take me seriously but I was honestly scared for my life. They didn't believe me when I told them that I had never met these people before.

**I want to stress that I know a good description of the vehicle and the full license plate number. I even know who drives the vehicle. My father recognized the vehicle and had seen it before in a driveway. (It was a VERY distinguishable vehicle with a lot of modifications.) So I even know where these people live now.

I know how I should have handled the situation THEN. I need to know what legal action I can take NOW to make these people thing twice before doing the same thing to someone else.

***I'm seeing so many answers saying I should have called the authorities then. I called 911 but the offenders took a side street before the police met me. I gave the police all of the information including a description of the vehicle and the entire plate number. The officer was able to tell me who the car was registered to. I just want to know what the police can or will do.

Answer 1

It's worth reporting to the police although i doubt if anything will happen. But if they try it again, you will have something on record that they are harrassing you

Answer 2

You can file a report with the police or highway patrol for starters. If you got the license plate, even better.

Throwing a lit cigarette seems like a form of battery, your case would be stronger if it actually harmed you in some way (for example went into your car), and is probably a bigger issue than "following" you. It will be hard to prove their speed without evidence or witnesses.

Basically you don't have much recourse, they didn't actually harm you and they didn't get caught doing it. If a cop saw that cr@p, he would have thrown something at them, but you should just take comfort in the fact that people like that tend to keep doing stupid stuff until they eventually get what's coming to them. The older you get, the more you realize how true this is.

Answer 3

Well, you can report the incident but, frankly, not much will happen. Stupid and rude are not criminal acts.
Do you have any idea who these people were? Do you have the license number of the car? If you answered no to these questions, then you might as well not bother. Cops are not going to be able to find them.
Do you have a cell phone? This is the kind of "Road Rage" incident that should be reported as it happens. That's when the cops can actually do something about it. Remember, you need a description of the car and its license plate.

Answer 4

God! That must have been absolutely terrifying to not know who they were or if the violence of their act could have escalated at any point during the drive. Obviously, though, you made it home safe and sound enough to post the incident on Yahoo. YAY!

If you were able to obtain their lisence plate number, I'm sure you could file a report with the local law enforcement. It may even be that if these people terrorized you, they may even have active warrants for their arrest out.

I had an incident where I was nearly shoved off the road by a giant truck and used my cell phone to dial the Florida Highway Patrol by dialing *FHP. Perhaps if this were to happen to you in the future, you could use your cell phone to contact the highway patrol in your state in a similar manner. I suggest using google to see if your highway patrol uses the same methods.

Good luck to you in the future.

Answer 5

You should have gotten the make & year of the car, plus the license plate number, then gone directly to the police station. Never, ever, get on an interstate when something happens like this again. When he first got in front of you, you should have gone directly to the police station. I guarantee the driver never would have followed you anymore after seeing you go to the police station.

Answer 6

Yikes, this is a problem. You must have really pi**ed some one off or they have the wrong person. Either way, their behavior is certainly cause for concern. At this point there is nothing you can do but file a complaint at the police station. I would also reccomend you carry a notepad and pen, readily accessible in your car at all times so that if this happens again you can get the plate number. Good luck and stay safe, do not do anything to provoke them, do not even look at them, if they follow you again drive to the nearest police station.

Answer 7

If you got the license plate number off of the vehicle, you can call your police department and file a report, I don't know what type of charge it would be, they would better be able to inform you of that. If you have a cell phone you should have called 911

Answer 8

When they were in front of you, its too bad you couldn't have gotten there license number down in your head until you were stopped to jot it down on paper somewhere later! I had a perv leave me a note once on my porch door mat, while I wasn't looking.. here I was doing laundry early in the morning, without a "Soul" in sight, because I do it, at 5:00 am, to beat the mob, in my apartment's, right. Well, I always pick up any trash that's around my porch area, and this note was not there all morning until I went outside to have a smoke, before going to put our laundry in the dryer, that's when I said to myself I dont recall their being a paper tucked underneath my doormat, and I picked it up, and it read, "I've been watching you, alot, I find you very attractive, and was wondering if you'd like to have some "Quiet shy sex" with me... here's my cell# and he signed it, Mike.. P.S. I'm not an ax-murderer, so you dont have to worry about that.. and if this offends you, I apologize.. I was like freakin' out!!! So, I called the cops, and they told me not to leave to check on my laundry until the cops showed up... Anyway, they took a report, and called the guy, but what happened to you also happened to my mother! so, if I were you, I'd call the cops and report it, just in case you happen to see them again in passing, so that there aware, but that you want to remain anonymous.. that you do not want them telling them your story, just if they could check to see if maybe there wanted or on drugs, cuz your a bit scared they may approach you again.. and just give them the best description you can of their vehicle, you know.. Just to be safe... I'm sorry you had to go through such an awful experience as this! Some people in this world just dont know how to act, you know. No manners, whatsoever!! Just be careful, for us here on yahoo!! Smile!! It could have been worse!

Answer 9

If you got their registration number i think the police would charge them with
1) Dangerous Driving.
2) Threatening behavior.
3) Driving without due care and attention.
4) Being a **** / Nob.

Don't let idiots like this get away with it.

Answer 10

if you dont have a liscense plate number or a name of a person theres very little you can do. you should go to the local police station and file a complaint even if you don't know either.