Wednesday afternoon, a barbaric road-rage shooting left a long-haul trucker fighting for his life. Police immediately started searching for the suspect and also for the victim’s missing canine friend. We used to flip each other the bird, honk the horn a little and go on about our day. When did Americans become so uncivilized they open fire on the freeway?
Trucker ‘serious but stable’
According to Cobb County, Georgia police, “a tractor-trailer truck driver was shot multiple times by a driver who sped off on Interstate 75 Wednesday afternoon. They’re asking for anyone who saw the trucker or anything to do with the altercation to please give them a call.
For now, they don’t have much to go on. This is only one of a disturbing string of similar incidents to hit the state of Georgia. The day before, “three people were injured in a suspected road-rage incident in Gwinnett County.” The following day, “a man who was involved in an argument at a DeKalb County business drove away from the scene but was soon seriously injured in a shooting on I-285.”
Adding to the mystery, as well as the anxiety level of the trucker and his family. The unidentified driver had his canine companion in the cab with him. “Susie” ran for her life.
🚨ALERT COBB CO.🚨
There is a crash on I-75 N past Wade Green Rd. leaving all lanes blocked. Avoid travel in this direction and use alt. routes. #ATLtraffic #CobbCounty
Call 511 for updates or go to https://t.co/uwTGYOIkeB for real-time traffic info. pic.twitter.com/77MktYioa4
— 511 GA – A Service of Georgia DOT (@511Georgia) February 16, 2022
When police arrived in response to “reports of a tractor-trailer blocking the highway highway onramp in the northbound lanes near Wade Green Road,” they discovered “the driver suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, at least two of which were in his torso.” He was conscious enough to tell the cops “a driver shot him and then drove off.” Also, his dog was missing.
They transported the trucker with injuries described as “life-threatening.” Family members, including the victim’s sister-in-law, informed the media that he’s “from Massachusetts.” They don’t want to release his name “due to safety concerns.”
While doctors were confidant about getting the man into stable condition, everyone was worried about poor Susie. His beloved dog “ran away when the driver was shot.” They were desperate to find her.
Susie home safe
Investigators followed her trail into the nearby woods while her likeness was plastered all over local TV screens. Authorities were relieved to report late Wednesday that “Susie was located unharmed.”
Getting shot twice in the stomach was bad enough trauma for the trucker to cope with. Losing his best friend, too, would have been devastating.
According to the family, the trucker sustained “two gunshot wounds to the stomach, one to the hand and broken bones.” He was in surgery for quite a while and “is currently in serious but stable condition.”
All that’s known about the shooter is they “sped off.” The police blocked all lanes of the highway for hours while they looked for evidence and emergency responders cleared the scene.
Police admit that they “have not been able to get a description of the car or the driver involved.” The trucker hasn’t been much help to them yet. That’s why police are asking for any help the public can give them. “We’re hoping someone saw something,” Sgt. Wayne Delk with Cobb County police relates.
It’s not known at this time if the shooting was related to the incident that happened Tuesday in Coweta county. 56-year-old Bobby Gene Ingram stole a tractor-trailer and wasn’t real good at driving it. Accused of “striking several vehicles, including a patrol car.” Deputies shot him and he’s still alive in the hospital.
