A road rage incident in Genoa Township, Michigan, on September 2, 2014, ended with the death of 43-year-old Derek Flemming. Flemming and his wife were on their way to pick up their children when an aggressive driving encounter with 69-year-old Martin Edward Zale escalated after both vehicles stopped at a red light on Grand River Avenue. Witnesses said Zale had been braking erratically in front of Flemming’s car; when Flemming exited his vehicle and approached Zale’s pickup, Zale fired a single shot from inside his truck, striking Flemming in the face. Emergency crews responded but Flemming died of his wounds, leaving behind his wife and two young children.

Zale was arrested and tried in early 2015. He testified he acted in self-defense, saying Flemming had struck him and was reaching into the truck, while the prosecution said Zale could have de-escalated or driven away; no witnesses corroborated Zale’s claim of being hit. On May 15, 2015, a jury convicted Zale of second-degree murder and felony firearm. The judge during sentencing described Zale as a shooting waiting to happen, and the victim’s widow, Amy Flemming, issued a statement about the family’s loss.