Police looking for 3 suspects in roadside beating, stabbing of driver in Brick Township, New Jersey

BRICK, N.J. (WABC) -- Police in New Jersey are searching for three suspects after a roadside altercation ended with one driver being stabbed.

A passerby shot video at the end of the altercation when it reached its most violent, as two men and a woman beat up and stabbed their 39-year old victim from Toms River, and then ran off to their own cars to drive away, leaving him bleeding in the road.

"Do not get involved with someone over a traffic violation. If you're in fear, keep your windows closed, drive to a safe location, call police," said Brick Police Chief Nils Bergquist, who released the grainy clip in hopes someone might recognize the assailants involved in the violent encounter last Wednesday.

Police say the victim, with his wife and child in the car, called 911 before the physical confrontation, after he yelled at the suspects for driving erratically.

That's when they started to follow him. "He said they had been in a verbal dispute in Point Pleasant and this vehicle was driving aggressively, he was in fear," said Bergquist.

At the intersection of Route 88 and Barb Lane, police say he got out of his car to confront the other driver, who was joined by his two passengers, so it was three on one.

One of the attackers even had a knife and stabbed him three times before they all drove away towards Route 70. Their dark-colored Acura has New York plates, the new empire gold kind, but police don't have the plate number.

That's why they are asking for the public's help.

"They stabbed somebody and could have caused severe bodily injury to that person," said Bergquist.

No one is saying it was a good idea for the victim to get out of his car in the first place, but he is very much the victim here and very lucky his wounds were mainly superficial.

As for the suspects, cops say they were driving a dark colored Acura sedan with tinted windows.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Timothy McCarthy in the Brick Township Police Detective Bureau at 732-262-1169. You can also contact the Brick Township Police directly at 732-262-1100.