Army Veteran Pepper-Sprayed in Vallejo Road-Rage Attack Caught on Video

VALLEJO, California – An Army veteran and father of two became the victim of an unprovoked pepper-spray attack during a road-rage incident on Monday morning, with the entire assault captured on cell phone video.

Joe Valley, a process server who works for a company providing internet service to Vallejo city departments, was driving his work truck along Wilson Avenue near Vallejo’s waterfront when a woman in a Nissan Altima began tailgating him.

“I noticed someone was tailgating me and flipping me off, and I’m driving the bucket truck slow because it’s big and old and heavy,” Valley said.

The street features speed bumps – speed tables installed just three weeks ago due to complaints about speeding. The usual 30 mph limit drops to 15 mph for the speed tables. The woman behind him took offense to his cautious pace on the one-lane street.

Valley continued driving until the road widened to two lanes near Hichborn Street. That is when the woman drove around him.

“She slammed on her brakes, forcing me to slam on my brakes, and there were cars behind me that almost hit me. I almost hit the lady,” Valley said.

Without warning, she got out of her car and pepper-sprayed him directly in the face from approximately two feet away.

“Immediately felt the pepper spray. She was like two feet away and she got me directly in the eyeballs. It felt like someone was sandblasting my eyeballs with glass,” Valley said.

He says he began backing up and never engaged with her. “In the video I said nothing. I wanted no confrontation. I wanted nothing to do with any interaction. I was just trying to avoid the situation at all costs.”

Blinded by the chemical, Valley drove to a nearby liquor store and later had his eyes flushed at Kaiser. A photo taken shortly after the attack shows his eyes severely bloodshot.

Valley, who has PTSD from his military service, said he never expected such an attack as a civilian. “I see a lot of stuff and I’m always on edge, but I never in a million years would think that I would have to be scared of just simply driving and doing the speed limit.”

Vallejo police told reporters they believe they have identified the suspect and will be forwarding the case to the Solano County District Attorney’s office. Valley hopes the woman will turn herself in.