A Perth father has recounted the harrowing moments he believed he would die during an alleged road rage attack involving a metal baseball bat. Isaac Ladha, 48, was on his way to work on Wednesday, July 15, when the incident occurred.
Ladha stated he had slowed down at traffic lights on Beeliar Drive in Success, a suburb in Perth's south, when the driver of a Toyota Camry behind him began honking aggressively. According to Ladha, the Camry driver then exited his vehicle and confronted him.
Ladha alleged that the other driver then forcibly removed him from his car by the neck and dragged him onto the road. "He opened his boot, took [out] a machete first. I thought, 'What the hell?'" Ladha told 7News from his hospital bed. "And then he put it back. He took [out] a big metal baseball bat."
Ladha reported that he was struck on the head a second time with the baseball bat, resulting in him losing consciousness. He sustained a fractured nose and facial cuts from the alleged assault. "I thought I was going to die without reason," Ladha stated, adding that the experience has left him traumatized.
A Good Samaritan intervened, stopping to provide aid and attempting to keep Ladha conscious by speaking to him as he bled heavily. Doctors at Royal Perth Hospital believe Ladha's life may have been saved by the bystander's actions. "Good Samaritan acts like that are very important... He is very lucky that he does not have any brain injuries," said Dr. Martin Jarman of Royal Perth Hospital.
Police arrested a 46-year-old man in nearby Hammond Park shortly after the incident. He has been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and is scheduled to appear in court on August 11. Authorities stated that the two men were not known to each other and that the incident appears to be isolated, with no ongoing safety concerns for the community. Police are appealing for any witnesses or individuals with footage of the alleged assault to contact Crime Stoppers.