A woman was left severely injured from shattered glass after a shooting incident on I-275, Florida Highway Patrol reported. Florida Highway Patrol troopers are currently investigating the events that led to a 63-year-old Lutz woman being shot at while she was suffering a medical emergency that caused her to lose control of her vehicle, as WFLA details. The troopers responded to the call at around 5 p.m. on Monday following a series of crashes near milepost 56 in the southbound lanes of I-275 in Hillsborough County.
The victim, whose name has not been made public, was driving a GMC Yukon when she swerved off the road due to her medical condition, striking a road sign before returning to the interstate and hitting another vehicle described as a silver or white mid-sized SUV according to WTSP, following this collision, another vehicle's occupant opened fire on her car shattering her driver's side window and causing her to bleed profusely the bullet itself went through the vehicle's windshield, with fragments found in the rear seat. Troopers quickly attended to the victim, applying life-saving measures to stanch her bleeding, which was ultimately determined to have been caused by the broken glass from her vehicle's window rather than the gunshot.
The shooter is currently unknown and fled the scene immediately after the incident; no description of the suspect or their vehicle has been released as of yet. The Florida Highway Patrol has issued an appeal to the public for any information related to the crime, urging individuals to come forward and contact them at *FHP (*347) or to reach out to Crime Stoppers at **TIPS with any details that might assist in the ongoing investigation, as detailed in the FOX13 News report.
This act of violence raises concerns regarding the safety of motorists in scenarios where their medical conditions unexpectedly impose danger upon, not only their own well-being but also the unpredictable consequences that may ensue from others on the road intervening in a hazardous and life-endangering manner, the investigation remains active and officials are compiling evidence and statements in an effort to locate the perpetrator and ascertain the full context of the road-side shooting.
