RICHMOND, Va. -- A driver told Virginia State Police someone fired a gunshot at their car Monday morning on Interstate 195 in Richmond, according to police.
The shooting was reported at about 7:37 a.m. in the northbound lanes in the area of the interstate between Monument Avenue and Broad Street.
"The driver of a white Scion sedan reported that they were in the left lane when it was shot," a Virginia State Police spokesperson wrote in an email. "The driver was able to safely exit the highway and notify police. They were not injured. A description of the suspect vehicle is not available."
Sgt. Dylan Davenport with VSP said the victim did not know why the shooting occurred.
“Our victim in the is case does not recall any road rage incident or anything unusual while driving. But we also know that our perception while driving is not necessarily what our neighboring motorists perceive,” Sgt. Davenport said.
Firing a weapon on the interstate is tremendously dangerous for a number of reasons. Still, CBS6 has reported on at least six interstate shootings this year.
“It’s disheartening that this is occurring,” Sgt. Davenport said. “We do actively investigate, and we’ve made several arrests. But unfortunately it’s still happening and we need to find out who’s doing it.”
Investigators are asking anyone driving through the area during the early rush hour to check their dash cams, if they have them.
“At 7:37 a.m., anyone who would have been in the vicinity of Monument Avenue and Broad Street on 195, a lot people have dash cams, maybe they would have recorded something. They can send that to our email. They do not have to reveal who they are. They can just share the information they have with us,” Sgt. Davenport said.
Although exceedingly rare when you consider the number of people who drive on the interstate every single day, troopers said the victim in this situation handled the frightening and dangerous situation exactly right.
“Get to a safe location. That’s the first step. Once you’ve ensured your location, it’s fine if you need to exit the interstate, this driver did that. Then immediately call your authorities. We’ll respond to the scene and conduct a through investigation,” Sgt. Davenport said.
Anyone with information was asked to call Virginia State Police at 804-609-5656.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
