Woman Pepper-Sprays Veteran During Traffic Confrontation: Report

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — A cellphone camera captured the moment a woman stepped out of a Nissan Altima, walked toward a vehicle stopped in traffic, and blasted pepper spray directly into the driver’s face after accusing him of driving too slowly.

The attack left Joseph Vallely, a U.S. Army veteran and father of two, screaming in pain behind the wheel Monday morning as an orange chemical spray hit both of his eyes through the open window of his truck.

“You scared? You should be scared—” the woman shouted moments before spraying him, according to video recorded by Vallely.

“It felt like someone was sandblasting my eyeballs with glass,” Vallely later said.

The confrontation unfolded on Wilson Avenue, where the City of Vallejo recently installed speed tables intended to slow traffic, according to news reports.

Vallely said he was driving the posted 30 mph speed limit when the driver behind him began tailgating aggressively.

According to Vallely, the woman followed him aggressively for about a mile before the roadway widened into two lanes near Mare Island Way.

He said that the woman then brake-checked his truck, got out of her car, and approached his driver-side window, according to news reports.

Video from Vallely’s cellphone shows him backing away as the woman moves closer and sprays the chemical agent into the cab.

“In the video, I was backing away from her and she walks up to me and pepper sprays me, calling me multiple names and asking if I was scared,” Vallely said. “Yeah — I was scared. That’s not something that’s normal.”

The Vallejo Police Department confirmed officers are investigating the assault and reviewing the video. Police said investigators have identified a person of interest, but no arrest had been made as of Tuesday, according to news reports.

As detectives continue the investigation, Vallely said he wants the woman seen in the video to surrender to police.