A road rage confrontation between two drivers turned violent Monday evening when shots were fired on southbound U.S. 81/287 near Decatur, setting off a chase that ended in a multi-vehicle crash on Farm Road 407 in New Fairview. The 22-year-old suspect was hospitalized with leg injuries after slamming into an uninvolved third vehicle, while the 37-year-old victim he had been shooting at escaped serious injury despite his car taking gunfire.
Gunfire on the Highway Before the Chase Turned East
According to Wise County Messenger, Wise County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Eric Debus said the suspect fired multiple handgun rounds from his vehicle while traveling on U.S. 81/287, striking the victim's car before fleeing east onto FM 407 with the victim in pursuit. The confrontation began south of Decatur and carried into New Fairview before it ended in the wreck, the outlet reported.
The crash unfolded in the 1300 block of FM 407 when the suspect's vehicle struck an uninvolved third car, according to the same report. The 22-year-old suspect was the only person hurt in the collision, suffering leg injuries that required hospital transport. Deputies responded to the crash scene.
No Other Injuries, But Heavy Delays on FM 407
Wise County EMS Chief Randall Preuninger confirmed that no other drivers or passengers were injured in the FM 407 collision, even though travel along the corridor was heavily delayed while first responders worked the scene, per the same account. Emergency crews shut down travel lanes on FM 407 Monday evening to investigate, leaving commuters stuck as the incident was cleared.
Firing a weapon at or toward an occupied vehicle can expose a suspect to serious felony liability under Texas law. Under Texas Penal Code § 22.02, such conduct can be prosecuted as Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a second-degree felony carrying two to 20 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. Separately, Texas Penal Code § 22.05(b) defines Deadly Conduct as knowingly discharging a firearm at or in the direction of a person or occupied vehicle, a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years, regardless of whether the shooter intended to hit a specific person.
Regional Crash Data The North Central Texas Council of Governments report covers regional crash and fatality data from 2021 through 2025.
Monday's shooting adds to a string of road rage incidents reported across North Texas in recent months, including a Fort Worth shooting that wounded a bystander. Neither the suspect's nor the victim's identities had been released as of Tuesday.
