Early morning road-rage shooting on SB I-15 leads to crash, arrest

A road rage incident at SB I-15, just past Rainbow Valley Boulevard, happened early Monday morning when one or more of the occupants in a silver Mercedes shot at a Blue Dodge Ram Truck driver.

The truck driver was a 57-year-old man from Murrieta. Fortunately for him, he suffered no injuries. California Highway Patrol (CHP) Spokesperson Hunter Gerber, said the CHP received a call at 5:50 a.m., and responded immediately.

“As officers were responding to the incident, they observed a silver Mercedes driving by the incident. It matched the description reported to CHP. Some officers left the scene in pursuit of the silver Mercedes,” he said.

Officers caught up to the Mercedes and, the spokesperson said, the Mercedes initially yielded to officers, but when they got out to approach the Mercedes, the Mercedes took off, and a chase started.

The chase sped down southbound I-15, when the Mercedes driver attempted to exit at Via Rancho Parkway in Escondido. The driver did not negotiate the curve correctly, and missed the barrier and ended up on the southbound on-ramp to the I-15. “It ended up colliding with a Mini Cooper, then crashed into the guard rail,” Gerber explained, adding that the driver of the Mini Cooper was taken to Palomar Hospital with injuries.

There were three occupants in the Mercedes and all three were arrested and are in custody, Gerber said. They are a 28-year-old male from Rialto, a 34-year-old male from Highland, and 26-year-old male from Ontario. Gerber added that CHP officers located a loaded handgun in the Mercedes.

The incident is under CHP investigation.