A group of good Samaritans jumped in to stop a road rage assault of a female construction worker Monday in San Francisco, but not before the driver took the woman to the ground while punching her.
The angry driver got out of his car at Haight and Steiner streets and attacked the woman directing traffic. What looked like a street brawl was a crowd of people trying to get an enraged driver away from the worker.
The worker, who did not want to be identified, said words were exchanged, and then the driver got out of his car.
"He shoved me first; I went down, grabbed his T-shirt. After that, swing, swing, swing," she said.
Two men driving by said it looked like a person on the ground needed help. They thought someone was hurt, there was some commotion and then they realized it was a man beating on a woman for no apparent reason.
The two passers-by, identified only as Ryan and Duncan, said it seemed like the construction worker was on her own.
"We were surprised more people weren't helping, and we had to put the car in park to help," they said.
Local
The worker snapped a picture of the man and his car once the crowd got him away from her.
"I have brusies on my back, my ribs and stomach," she said. "That's where he was hitting me."
She said she is grateful for the help and for the hard hat that helped absorb the impact of hitting the pavement. When police arrived, she turned over her photographs to them and then finished her shift.
San Francisco police are investigating the assault. No arrests had been made.
