NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A pregnant woman and her boyfriend were taken to the hospital after, authorities said, they came under fire along the Florida Turnpike in North Miami-Dade in what was the third road rage shooting on South Florida highways within the last few days.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, a blue Honda Civic and a gray Chevy sedan were involved in a road rage incident along the southbound lanes of the Turnpike near the Golden Glades Interchange just before 1 p.m., Tuesday.
Officials said an occupant in the Chevy discharged a firearm, striking the left side of the Honda.
The pregnant passenger’s mother spoke with 7News on the phone Tuesday evening. She said her daughter was grazed in the arm by a bullet and her boyfriend was shot in the arm.
Investigators said the injured motorist was able to drive himself and his girlfriend to the Miami-Dade Police Department Northside Station in Northwest Miami-Dade.
The victims were then transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center with injuries that were not life-threatening.
7SkyForce HD hovered above the southbound lanes of the Turnpike after troopers shut them down near the scene of the shooting.
FHP said it all started when the shooter tried cutting off the victims in traffic. When they wouldn’t let the Chevy in, the suspected driver pulled into the emergency lane and fired one to two rounds through the passenger window.
Back at the police station, 7News cameras captured the victims’ Civic with bullet holes on the driver’s side front door and damage to the passenger side. It’s unclear whether the dent is related to what led up to the shooting.
The shooting is the latest in a string of similar incidents on South Florida highways over the last several months.
Back in August, someone opened fire on the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 near Davie Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. Bullets pierced a car with two men inside, but no injuries were reported.
On Sept. 11, the driver of a pickup truck came to a stop on I-95 in Pembroke Pines after the vehicle was struck by bullets near Hallandale Beach Boulevard.
On Nov. 16, a 9-year-old girl was taken to the hospital after, FHP investigators said, 24-year-old Jessy Betancourt shot at a car on State Road 874. The suspect turned himself in to authorities weeks later.
Last Thursday morning, a man was killed after, detectives said, he exchanged gunfire with someone in another car on the Palmetto Expressway in Northwest Miami-Dade.
And on Saturday, the driver of a Hyundai was taken to the hospital after, authorities said, he came under fire on the Florida Turnpike near Northwest 199th Street in Miami Gardens.
FHP detectives have not provided a description of the subject in Monday’s shooting, as they continue to investigate.
The expecting mother and her boyfriend have since been released from the hospital. The woman, who is 30 weeks pregnant, and her baby are expected to be OK.
If you have any information on the shooter, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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