Q COSTARICA — Regardless of the time, place, or social status, all drivers are susceptible to becoming victims of road rage, a growing concern, particularly in the metropolitan San José area.
Recent incidents of road violence mostly involved drivers using steel tubes or deliberately striking each other. But on Tuesday, everything changed when a 23-year-old driver surnamed named Mora Cubero faced off against a 33-year-old man, Francisco Granados López, who was reportedly wielding a forceful weapon. Mora Cubero pulled out a gun and, seeing that the threat wasn’t backing down, shot him.
The incident occurred at approximately 6:40 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, in Cartago, on the street leading to the Paseo Metrópoli mall, as confirmed by Cartago Mayor Mario Redondo.
According to Redondo, the incident was a result of a roadside argument sparked by a car crash in the middle of a traffic jam. Both drivers got out of their vehicles and began arguing. Mora Cubero pulled out a firearm and shot Granados in the left thigh, who bled to death at the scene.
The Cruz Roja confirmed that they responded to the call at approximately 6:45 a.m. Upon arrival, they found a man with a gunshot wound to the leg; however, he was already deceased.
The Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) arrested the young man at the scene of the incident. Authorities confirmed that Mora Cubero has a valid firearms permit. The incident was recorded by a security camera in the area, and the recording is now in the hands of the Prosecutor’s Office as key evidence.
A case of self-defence?
In Costa Rica, the principle of self-defence is regulated in the Penal Code which permits self-defense under strict conditions governed by the principle of proportionality, where the force used to defend yourself must match the severity of the attack, and an imminent threat to your life or severe physical integrity (e.g., an assailant wielding a gun or knife).
Under Costa Rican law, you are generally only protected when defending yourself or your own property. Acting as a “Good Samaritan” to protect others can lead to legal liability if your own life was not directly in jeopardy. You cannot legally attack a fleeing or retreating assailant. Force used after the immediate danger has passed is treated as a criminal assault rather than self-defense
In the case of Mora Cubero, he is being processed in the Cartago Flagrancy Court to determine the precautionary measures.
How exposed are we all to facing such a situation?
Álvaro Solano, Director of Psychology at Fidélitas University, speaking to Larepublica. net, explained that we are all potentially vulnerable because simply encountering someone acting out of anger, fear, or impulsiveness is enough to cause an everyday situation to spiral out of control.
Therefore, in moments of tension, the priority shouldn’t be proving who is right, but rather protecting life and preventing an impulse from ending in tragedy.
Often, withdrawing, remaining silent, or walking away in time can save not only a life, but also prevent emotional and familial consequences that can haunt people for years.
Solano added traffic accident can trigger very strong emotional responses, especially when stress, impulsiveness, a sense of threat, and low frustration tolerance are combined. In a matter of seconds, an argument can go from a purely verbal conflict to an aggressive reaction, with people losing control and acting out of anger rather than reason.
Remember that each person reacts differently depending on their personality, stress level, emotional history, self-control, and frustration management skills.
Some people manage to stay calm and resolve the incident rationally, while others may interpret the clash as a threat, humiliation, or provocation and react impulsively. Factors such as fatigue, anxiety, urgent situations, substance use, accumulated personal problems, and each person’s learned behaviors on how to deal with conflict, as well as the low emotional intelligence some people possess, also play a role.
Mental health experts tells us there are some warning signs that lead to disproportionate reactions to minor situations. Some people have difficulty tolerating frustration, have a constant need to assert themselves, are impulsive, moody, frequently verbally aggressive, and have very little ability to stop themselves before acting.
It’s also common to see people interpret any disagreement as a personal attack.
Often, behind this behavior lie high levels of accumulated stress, unresolved emotional issues, or a persistent feeling of tension that eventually explodes at the least expected moment. The problem is that when someone loses the ability to regulate their emotions, a few seconds of anger can escalate into irreversible decisions that affect entire families and leave lifelong consequences.
When feeling attacked, the ideal is always to prioritize protecting oneself and avoid direct confrontation. In the face of a physical threat with a potentially lethal object, the most advisable reaction would have been to try to maintain distance, find an escape route, take cover, and seek immediate help from the authorities, if conditions allowed.
On the road, walking away, keeping your distance, and not responding to provocation is not an act of weakness, but a decision of protection and emotional maturity. However, some believe they must react or assert themselves, when in reality, true strength lies in preventing a moment of anger from changing lives forever.