Washington State Patrol are urging drivers to be polite on the road, avoid eye contact with angry drivers and report aggressive driving to stay safe. This information was reiterated after a passenger was shot while traveling on West Seattle Bridge. Seattle police are still searching for the suspect. Eye witnesses say a gray or silver vehicle fled the scene.
This year in King County, there have been 249 road rage incidents where weapons were brandished, and 219 where shots have actually been fired, according to Washington State Patrol. This post pandemic trend is being seen across the country. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, 2021 was record-setting for the number of road rage shootings in the United States, with more than 500 people shot.
Locally, a man was shot and struck in the shoulder while in the passenger seat. The victim was struck while on the offramp to Interstate 5 from the West Seattle Bridge. The driver of the car called 911 just after 1:30 p.m. to report that her passenger was shot by someone in another vehicle. Witnesses said a suspect in a silver or gray vehicle opened fire on the victim’s car. The suspect then fled the scene. The 39 year old victim is in stable condition at Harborview Medical Center.
Officers could not find the suspect’s vehicle. This shooting comes after officials say road rage shootings are on the rise in western Washington. Earlier this month, a 9-year-old boy was shot in a road rage incident in Renton. On Nov. 25, an 11-year-old boy was shot in a road rage incident in Tacoma.
A 24-year-old woman was shot and killed in an apparent road rage incident while driving on SR 2 in Skykomish in October. In 2021, there were 44 gun deaths and injuries from road rage incidents in an average month—double the pre-pandemic average, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
