A violent altercation on the I-10 East Freeway in Houston, believed to be induced by road rage, has left a 21-year-old man with life-threatening injuries. The incident, which took place last night, involved gunfire exchanged between the occupants of a pickup truck and a sedan. According to the ABC13 report, the police are investigating the shoot-out after both parties reportedly called 911.
The melee ensued when a man and a woman, both in their 20s, left an In-N-Out restaurant and merged onto the freeway only to be allegedly tailgated and later shot at by occupants of a black sedan. In response, the 26-year-old driver of the sedan, with his parents in tow, one of whom is a Harris County probation officer, retaliated with his own firearm, said Lt. R. Willkens of the Houston Police Department, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. The altercation resulted in the pickup truck crashing into the cement barrier of the freeway, and the sedan left with bullet holes.
Following the chaos, the sedan fled the scene out of fear, a representative for the family told authorities, before calling the police to report the incident. Both vehicles have been inspected by the police, and firearms recovered from both the sedan and the pickup indicate the exchange of gunfire. In a statement obtained by the Houston Chronicle, the woman who was in the truck with the injured man, was unhurt but shaken and covered in blood at the hospital. Police are now requesting additional witnesses to come forward, as they work towards gathering video evidence.
"Investigators are coming and all of this will be assigned and turned over to the DA's office for statements and an investigation to determine if any charges will be filed," said Lt. Willkens, in an interview by ABC13. Moreover, the police say cooperation from the family in the sedan could be crucial to the ongoing investigation.
