A recent outbreak of road rage on the New Jersey Turnpike took a dangerous turn last Friday when a Florida truck driver was arrested for allegedly shooting another trucker. According to Local10, the incident occurred around 10:15 a.m. near Edison, roughly 30 miles from New York City. The accused, 32-year-old Eiver Espinosa Rodriguez from Homestead, Florida, is currently facing an attempted murder charge.
A representative from the New Jersey State Police told Daily Voice that Rodriguez fired one round into the front door of a victim's box truck during the incident. Following the shooting, the unnamed truck driver was left in critical but stable condition after being shot in the abdomen. Although Rodriguez initially fled the scene, he was later apprehended in Petersburg, Virginia, by state police authorities.
The arrest came after authorities tracked Rodriguez to Interstate 295 in Petersburg. Officials reported that, in addition to attempted murder, the Florida man also faces charges of possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, possession of fraudulent government documents, and hindering apprehension. Rodriguez now awaits extradition to New Jersey following his arrest in Virginia.
"Rodriguez fled the scene, continuing southbound on the Turnpike," said Charles Marchan, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police, in a statement obtained by the Daily Voice.
