Road Rage a Factor in Violent Traffic Collision

LATEST UPDATE

On Wednesday, October 10, 2007, at 11:00 p.m., Ayman Arif, the five-year-old victim from the road rage incident, died from his injuries. Both drivers have been rebooked for Second Degree Murder. Detectives will present the case to the City's District Attorney today. 

Los Angeles: Yesterday a five-car traffic collision in the San Fernando Valley tragically injured a young mother and her two small children. All three victims remain in critical condition.

On Tuesday, October 9, 2007, the wreck occurred in the area of Sherman Way and Amestoy Avenue, in Van Nuys. Around 3:00 p.m., a black Nissan Maxima was speeding westbound on Sherman Way when it collided with a red Chevrolet Camaro and three other parked vehicles. The victims, uninvolved bystanders, were standing next to the parked cars struck by the Maxima. Witnesses stated that the drivers of the Nissan and Camaro were involved in an occurrence of road rage at the time of the collision. It is believed that rage was a significant contributor to the cause of the crash.

The injured pedestrians were a 31-year-old mother, her 4-year-old son and 8-week-old baby girl. They sustained severe injuries and were rushed by paramedics to local hospitals.

The driver of the Maxima remained at the scene of the accident and was taken into custody without incident. He is Armando Gamboa Ayon, 19, of Pacoima. The driver of the Camaro, Brian Gilbert Barnes, 44, of Northridge, later surrendered at Valley Traffic Division accompanied by his attorney. Both drivers were booked and charged with Attempt Murder 187-PC and are being held on bail of $1.5 million each.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Valley Traffic Detective Milan at 818-374-1933 during normal business hours. After hours and on weekends, please phone the 24-hour Detective Information Desk at 1-877-LAW-FULL (529-3855).