An Oregon man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for attacking another man with a hatchet after a road rage incident escalated into violence. The 33-year-old man, Joseph K. Chastain, pleaded guilty to attempted assault in the first degree and learned his fate in court on Friday. The victim, Matt Griffin, addressed the court, emphasizing the severity of the attack and expressing his anger at both the violent assault and the attempt to shift blame.
The incident occurred on the night of August 12, 2023, just before 11 p.m. It began as a routine traffic altercation when Chastain cut off Griffin on the road. In response, Griffin honked his horn. That simple action quickly turned into a dangerous situation when Chastain, rather than continuing on his way, began to pursue Griffin aggressively.
Griffin, likely sensing danger, drove home. However, Chastain followed him there. Upon arrival, Chastain jumped out of his vehicle, holding a dark object in his hand. Fearing for his life and believing it to be a gun, Griffin prepared to defend himself. He grabbed a hatchet, but before he could use it, Chastain managed to take control of the weapon. In the struggle that followed, Chastain attacked Griffin with the hatchet, leaving him with serious injuries before fleeing the scene.
The attack left Griffin with two broken bones and a deep, six-inch gash on his leg. When authorities arrived, they had to apply a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. The severity of the wounds made it clear that the attack could have been fatal under different circumstances.
Months later, police tracked down Chastain and arrested him at his home. The hatchet used in the attack was recovered during the arrest. Despite overwhelming evidence, Chastain’s defense attempted to argue that the victim’s injuries were self-inflicted. A biomechanics expert and a radiologist were presented to suggest that the wound could have been the result of a “swing and a miss” motion rather than a direct assault.
Griffin strongly rejected this claim in court, calling Chastain not only a violent individual but also a liar. Prosecutors also dismissed the defense’s argument, stating that there was no reasonable doubt about what had transpired that night.
With the guilty plea secured, Chastain received a sentence of 42 months in prison. While the punishment holds him accountable, the violent nature of the attack serves as a stark reminder of how road rage incidents can escalate into life-threatening encounters. The case highlights the importance of de-escalation in confrontational situations and the severe consequences that can follow when anger turns into violence.
