GILROY
– A Gilroy man will be arraigned this afternoon and remains in
custody for his part in a bloody road rage incident that played out
before several witnesses Saturday afternoon at the crowded
intersection of Highway 25 and U.S. 101.
GILROY – A Gilroy man will be arraigned this afternoon and remains in custody for his part in a bloody road rage incident that played out before several witnesses Saturday afternoon at the crowded intersection of Highway 25 and U.S. 101.
Nicholas Seibert, 22, was arrested for felony assault with a deadly weapon and for throwing substances out of his vehicle. Seibert, who lives in the 500 block of Polk Street, attacked a Hollister man and hit him over the head with a glass bottle several times following a driving dispute between the two at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday on westbound Highway 25 near the northbound U.S. 101 on-ramp, according to Santa Clara County Sheriff’s reports.
According to the same report, Jesse Maramba, the 31-year-old Hollister man Seibert hit with the bottle, then stabbed Seibert with a Leatherman pocket knife twice in the midsection and once in the thigh.
Following the stabbing, Seibert fled the scene to Saint Louise Regional Hospital, where his wounds were declared as life-threatening and he was transported to San Jose Medical Center. Seibert later underwent successful surgery for his wounds and is now in custody at the county’s main jail in San Jose.
Maramba was arrested at the scene for assault with a deadly weapon and is scheduled to be arraigned May 13. He is currently free on a $50,000 bail.
Portions of the U.S. 101 northbound on-ramp from Highway 25 were closed for almost an hour following the incident, according to the California Highway Patrol.
“Both of these guys ended up hurt and in the hospital because they couldn’t control their temper,” SCC Sheriff’s spokesman Terrance Helm said. “The dispute was over nothing. It’s just a senseless act of violence.”
According to Helm, the incident began on westbound Highway 25 between Hollister and U.S. 101 where the road narrows to one lane. At that point Maramba, who was driving a tan mini-van carrying his girlfriend, a friend and her two children, merged in front of the green Toyota Camry driven by Seibert’s wife.
Seibert’s wife then tailgated Maramba for a number of miles and Seibert began throwing glass bottles at the van, Helm said. A passenger in Maramba’s van called 911, and when traffic slowed near the U.S. 101 northbound on-ramp, Maramba got out of his vehicle to tell Seibert he had called the police. At that time the two men began to fight.
“Fortunately, we haven’t had a lot of these road-rage-type incidents lately, but we are always worried things like this might happen,” said Terry Mayes, spokeswoman for the CHP, which first responded to the 911 call. “With summer coming and higher traffic volume and hot temperatures, tempers begin to boil too. … People need to be aware of this and not let it get to them.”
According to Helm, Seibert has not been allowed bail because he was abusive toward hospital staff workers before and after his surgery and did not cooperate with Sheriff’s investigators. A judge could set bail at his arraignment this afternoon.
