Victims of Tesla road rage driver unhappy with attacker’s prison sentence
Several women who were attacked by an enraged, pipe-wielding Tesla driver say they’re frustrated with Los Angeles County prosecutors for not being involved in the plea deal.
Nathaniel Radimak’s “reign of terror” escalated in late 2022 and early 2023 before he was identified and eventually arrested. Prosecutors, however, say he had been terrorizing drivers for years.
“He immediately exited his vehicle with a crowbar in his hand, visibly enraged, ran towards my car and repeatedly struck my car with a crowbar,” one of Radimak’s victims, Beth Lamprecht, said at a news conference Tuesday.
Prosecutors say Radimak also threatened to attack a woman at a storage facility in Atwater Village and threatened to assault a 74-year-old woman outside a doctor’s office in Glendale.
Nathaniel Radimak is seen getting out of a Tesla SUV and attacking a victim with a large pipe along the 2 Freeway on Jan. 11, 2023. (DroneZone_LA) Nathaniel Radimak is seen getting out of a Tesla SUV and attacking a victim with a large pipe along the 2 Freeway on Jan. 11, 2023. (DroneZone_LA) Nathaniel Radimak is seen getting out of a Tesla SUV and attacking a victim with a large pipe along the 2 Freeway on Jan. 11, 2023. (DroneZone_LA) Nathaniel Radimak is seen getting out of a Tesla SUV and attacking a victim with a large pipe along the 2 Freeway on Jan. 11, 2023. (DroneZone_LA)
In September, he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to assault, vandalism, elder abuse and criminal threats. His victims, who are being represented by women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred, insist the punishment does not fit the crime.
“Victims are supposed to have the opportunity to make an impact statement and have our voices heard in court before a plea deal is made, but the system failed us,” Vivian Romero said at a news conference on Tuesday.
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“The District Attorney’s Office never informed me of the status of this case. I was never informed of my rights under Marsy’s Law,” another victim, Gabriella, said.
Marsy’s Law, named after UC Santa Barbara student Marsy Nicholas, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 1983, was approved by California voters in 2008. It ensures victims and the families of victims are involved in each step of the criminal justice process.
At this point, Allred says there are no legal remedies to give her clients a voice. Her hope, she says, is that future victims will be respected.
In a statement to KTLA, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said:
“At the beginning of every case, we send each victim a document explaining their rights under Marsy’s Law. Since that initial communication, the DDA assigned to the case has been in contact with the victims in the matter, and shared with them the terms of the plea as well as information regarding restitution.”
Radimak will be eligible for parole in July 2025.
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