ABC Illawarra presenter Nick Rheinberger attacked by Jeniella Johnson in road rage incident in Mittagong

A popular local radio presenter was assaulted in a prolonged road rage incident in the Southern Highlands last year during which he was pursued, intimidated, and assaulted.

A popular local radio presenter was assaulted in a prolonged road rage incident in the Southern Highlands last year during which he was pursued, intimidated, and assaulted.

Jeniella Johnson, 24, appeared in Moss Vale court on Tuesday after being charged with assaulting and intimidating local ABC radio presenter Nick Rheinberger during a bout of intense road rage in September last year.

According to the documents tendered to the court, Johnson was driving her Holden Commodore along Bong Bong Rd in Mittagong at 7.30pm on September 7 last year when she arrived at an intersection at the same time as Mr Rheinberger.

Jeniella Johnson admitted to four charges related to a road rage incident in Mittagong last year. Picture: Facebook

He stopped to give way to Johnson, but the documents state she didn’t think he was going to give way to her. The police facts show she verbally abused the victim from her car, but he did not respond.

As the two continued driving along Bong Bong Rd, the facts show Johnson slowed down to 40 km/hr in a 60 km/hr zone in an attempt to bait Mr Rheinberger into overtaking her. He didn’t do so, and instead turned down a side road to try and avoid her.

The facts state Johnson cottoned on quickly and also turned down a side road to intercept the victim. According to the documents, she saw the victim approaching an intersection and pulled in front of his car, leaving her car stationary in the middle of the road to block his exit.

Johnson then got out of her car and stood directly in front of Mr Rheinberger’s car while making threatening gestures and yelling “come and get me”, according to the police facts. The victim was finally able to drive around her but heard a loud bang on the side of his car as he drove by.

Half an hour later, the facts state Mr Rheinberger was driving home along the Old Hume Highway when he noticed Johnson’s car coming up behind him very quickly. She began flashing her lights and honking her horn repeatedly as she approached, according to the facts.

ABC Illawarra radio presenter Nick Rheinberger was the target of an intense road rage incident in September 2021.

The facts state the victim turned right but Johnson overtook him and stopped her car, blocking the lane. According to the court documents, Mr Rheinberger decided to make a U-turn and head to a nearby service station that he knew was well-lit and had surveillance cameras.

Police assert Johnson followed him and was “driving in a dangerous manner through the bowsers, coming to a sudden halt to cut in front of the victim’s vehicle.”

According to the police facts, she repeatedly yelled at Mr Rheinberger to “get out of the f***ing car” and then shouted “You nearly run me over.”

While he retreated to the service station, the facts show she kicked his side mirror and broke it away from the car, leaving it hanging by the wires.

The victim then began to video Johnson as she shouted abuse at him, and the CCTV footage shows her walking up to him and slapping the phone out of his hand. As he bent to collect his phone and his keys, the facts show Johnson stepped on his phone and pushed him back.

According to the facts, Mr Rheinberger went back inside the service station to call triple-0 while Johnson stood in the doorway to prevent him from leaving. She left before the police arrived, but later told police she’d only wanted to speak to the victim about his manner of driving.

Jeniella Johnson appeared in Moss Vale Local Court on March 23.

Johnson told police she suffers from bipolar disorder and had previously been involved in a major car accident which had badly affected her.

Her lawyer Michael Doughty told the court Johnson had “a complex background without a clear mental health diagnosis.”

On Tuesday, the St Andrews resident entered pleas of guilty to knowingly driving a vehicle in a menacing manner, destruction of property, common assault, and intimidation.

She will return to Moss Vale court for sentencing on May 3.