NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – A normal day on the highway turned into a horrifying road rage incident.
Tishawna Banks told 10 On Your Side she was heading to work Sunday morning and was getting onto Interstate 64 from Oyster Point in Newport News on her way to Hampton.
There was a red Camaro in front of her. Virginia State Police identified the driver of that car as Eugene Trujillo.
“He was in front of me and there was a car slower in front of him,” Banks said. “That was what was really upsetting him.”
The three cars made it onto the interstate, but Banks wanted to get around the slow car.
“I got over as soon (as) I seen that last car past in the next lane and hurried and got over,” she said. “He didn’t like that I got over. He made it seem as if he was going to run me off the road.”
Her thought?
“Wow, this man is literally trying to kill me.”
Banks said she got over again and saw Trujillo coming up behind her.
She was upset and flipped him the bird.
“I did flick him off with the finger,” Banks said. “I mean, he just really turned up. If he was having a bad day, I made it even worse by flicking him off.”
She said that’s when Trujillo sped up and brake-checked her four or five times.
Banks weaved in traffic to create distance.
“I see him coming right back again,” she said. “I say he is literally following me. He’s not going to stop doing this stuff, so I started recording. That’s when he had the gun pointed right at me. So, as soon as I saw the gun, my body immediately went into shock and I started shaking,” she said.
Banks kept driving and later found a trooper. She told the trooper everything with tears streaming down her face.
Without a license plate in the video, it was hard to pinpoint who the driver was.
So, she turned to social media. The video blew up.
“I thank social media a lot,” Banks said. “They are the reason I got answers. I definitely thank social media a lot because, like I said, I had no answers whatsoever. I didn’t know where to turn. Social media came through.”
Virginia State Police told 10 On Your Side troopers used information provided by Banks to investigate thoroughly.
State Police were able to identify Trujillo and arrest him.
Banks said it makes her feel better knowing he’s behind bars. Trujillo faces a list of charges, including brandishing a firearm, assault, reckless driving and reckless handling of a firearm.
State Police said there is an ongoing criminal investigation and further charges are pending.
10 On Your Side reached out to Trujillo, but he declined our interview request.
