Roadway Shooting Incidents Increase
Roadway shooting incidents are increasing in Elk Grove as well as in the entire Sacramento area. Some are the result of road rage that escalates into a shooting. Others can involve an argument that begins in one location and continues on the roadway. The end result is often the same. On a crowded highway, other drivers may try to get out of the way and additional crashes may occur. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is addressing this problem with increased enforcement procedures. Let’s look at some of the roadway shooting incidents that have occurred in 2018 and 2019
Roadway Shootings on the Rise
Since 2018, the number of roadway shooting incidents has nearly doubled in Sacramento. Only seven were documented for all of 2018 with one arrest. In the first six months of 2019, there have been 11 shootings and seven arrests. Law enforcement is divided on why this is happening.
Sacramento is not alone in this problem. Phoenix, Arizona, has seen seven roadway shooting incidents this year along with two deaths. Across the country, road rage is becoming more of a problem. According to the Automobile Association of America, the number of road rage incidents reached eight million last year. Many cities are using such diverse tactics as undercover operations or hotlines for drivers to report road rage.
Why Is Road Rage Increasing?
One psychotherapist describes the reason for road rage by citing the powerlessness many people feel every day. Put the same individuals behind the wheel with a degree of anonymity, and they suddenly have power, and they want to prove it. In a sense, the therapist said, it is about competition.
One of the best ways to diffuse road rage, she said, is to apologize if you accidentally infringe on another driver’s space. Simply mouthing the words “I’m sorry” may take the challenge out of the situation.
Additional Issues Surrounding Roadway Shootings
While the idea of a roadway shooting is frightening, such incidents can also lead to multiple vehicle accidents. In several shootings, other drivers, startled by the event, were involved in subsequent collisions. This may be expected as drivers try to get out of the way. On congested highways, this can cause havoc. It is important to stay focused and in control of the vehicle. In addition, traffic issues, as well as road closings, occur in the area of the shooting.
Roadway Shooting Incidents in the Sacramento Area
Some of the shooting incidents are listed below:
- September 2018: In this case, which occurred around 11:00 a.m., the occupants of an Infiniti and a white sedan shouted at one another as they traveled on Interstate 5 near Elk Grove. After reaching the area near Hood Franklin Road, an occupant of the sedan shot a woman in the front passenger seat of the Infiniti. The woman was a resident of Stockton. The 42-year-old woman was transported to UC Davis Medical Center, where she was treated and survived. No one was arrested in this shooting. The people involved in the case did not know one another. The shooting was related to a road rage incident that escalated.
- October 6, 2018: Highway 99 in Sacramento was closed for about six hours after a roadway shooting and multiple accidents. At about 3:45 a.m., a Toyota Corolla with four people on board was shot at near the 12th Avenue off-ramp. The shooter was not identified. Because of the shooting, the passengers ducked, and the Corolla hit a guardrail and construction barrels. This caused the Corolla to overturn and block several traffic lanes. The driver and the occupants of the Corolla escaped the vehicle, moving onto the center divide. A Nissan hit the Corolla, causing it to spin, and it was struck by a Honda. Two other cars also collided.
- Another 2018 roadway shooting incident: A Sacramento County gas station was the location of a 2018 altercation that led to a roadway shooting. This case led to the only arrest in 2018 for a roadway shooting.
- March 2019: Three people were arrested in this shooting that occurred on Interstate 80 in Roseville. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), a driver of a white Corvette was shot and injured by a person in an SUV, who was not hurt in the shooting. The Corvette driver was transported to the hospital for treatment. The passenger in the Corvette was not harmed. The SUV left the scene of the accident. Three people in the SUV were later arrested. According to arrest records, Myles Sherman, age 24, was arrested in Vallejo on weapons charges and attempted murder. Twenty-seven-year-old Tevarus Hill was also arrested in Benicia on June 5, 2019. The third suspect to be arrested was Enacio Bolton, 26. He is also charged with attempted murder.
- May 22, 2019: Highway 70 was the site of a roadway shooting. A Sacramento man, age 36, was shot and killed as he traveled on the highway from Chico. He engaged in a verbal altercation with the occupants of a gold Nissan Altima in Marysville. An additional passenger in the vehicle was injured in the incident. On May 31, a representative of the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office announced several arrests in the case. Two passengers in the Nissan were arrested on charges of murder while the driver was charged with being an accomplice. The suspects were captured on more than 12 business videos in Butte, Sutter, and Yuba counties. Neither the suspects nor the victims in the shooting knew one another. However, two of the suspects have a history of violent crimes as well as charges of possessing a deadly weapon involved in a felony assault.
- May 29, 2019: This involved a shooting between two SUVs on Highway 99 between 12th and 47th avenues. A shooter in a white SUV fired upon a person in a red SUV. One person in the red SUV suffered serious injuries. The white SUV left the scene. Highway 99 and Capital City Freeway were backed up for nearly three hours as an investigation was conducted, and the injured were transported to nearby hospitals.
Elk Grove Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, an Elk Grove personal injury lawyer. If you have been harmed in a road rage accident/shooting or if a member of your family was killed, let me give you some free and friendly advice. Just call (916) 694-0002 or (800) 404-5400. You can also contact me online.
I’ve helped residents of Sacramento and the surrounding area with many types of personal injury cases. These range from car accidents to wrongful deaths as well as many traumatic injuries.
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Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/technology-police-car-roof-2500010/
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