2 freeway shootings just hours apart in the South Bay
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) - California Highway Patrol officers are investigating two more shootings on Bay Area freeways.
These crimes come on the heels of a double fatal shooting in the Caldecott Tunnel over the weekend.
CHP detectives in San Jose said this isn't the first time they've investigated a South Bay freeway shooting.
"They do not happen with very much regularity, on the freeway here. But it's something we have had in the past," said officer Ross Lee of the San Jose office.
On Tuesday, two shootings occurred just hours apart, and in both cases, bullets were fired from one car into another.
The first crime took place around 8:35 p.m. on southbound Interstate 680 near King Road.
The female driver said she was merging onto I-680 from King, when a man pulled up beside her and pointed a gun.
She slowed down, but he matched her speed. He pointed the gun again and then fired.
"Typically what we see sometimes in these incidents, is one party feels they may have been wronged in some way. And the other party may not even be aware of an incident occurring," said Lee.
The victim's vehicle had a window blown out, and a 12-year-old girl was injured by broken glass.
CHP says the girl suffered minor cuts and scrapes and is in good condition.
In the second instance, officials say a male driver was transitioning from southbound Highway 17 to northbound Highway 85.
A gold-colored vehicle was tailgating, and as that driver passed to left, the victim said he heard a thud.
He didn't realize his car was hit by gunfire until he got home and saw the bullet hole.
"It's incredibly dangerous. It's not something we take lightly at all. Anytime we're talking about firearms in any way, especially on the road," Lee said.
Officials with the Mineta Transportation Institute say there's been a 500 percent increase in road rage fatalities from 2006 to 2015.
"Road rage was linked to 450 fatal crashes in 2015. This is concerning," said Dr. Karen Philbrick, executive director of the institute.
She says better reporting of these types of crimes could partially explain the increase. But also, social pressures and a lack of learning how to deal with them can push some people past the brink.
"We're looking at correlations – how two things relate in time and space. And what we know is people are dealing with different issues. Especially in the Bay Area," Philbrick said. "So when you're already dealing with many stressors, one more incident on a road may cause you to act out."
CHP investigators are reaching out to the public asking for help identifying the shooters in both incidents.
If you find yourself a victim of road, officers say don't argue or fight back and instead move away and call 911.