The suspect Jeep looks like this one pictured.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Troopers are still hoping to hear from anyone who witnessed a shooting on Interstate 5 last week, or saw the road rage incident and chase that took place in the 13-mile stretch north of Chehalis.
It happened around 11 a.m. on Wednesday and nobody was injured, but at least one shot shattered the rear window of a car.
The suspect is a older man who was driving a black Jeep Cherokee and the victim was driving a silverish-gray four-door Mazda hatchback, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Police have interviewed the Mazda driver, but have not located the Jeep, according to the state patrol.
As of yesterday, there was nobody who reported seeing the shooting, Trooper Will Finn said. They’re hoping an appeal for tips will help them out, and maybe even prompt the shooter to turn himself in, Finn said.
A detective out of Vancouver has been assigned to investigate.
Detective Jen Ortiz said this morning only two calls were made to 911. One was from an individual who saw the Mazda with its back window already broken out, around milepost 83. The other was from the 25-year-old man from Spanaway who was shot at, she said.
Ortiz hadn’t yet heard from any members of the public offering information, she said.
According to the victim, the events began in south Thurston County around milepost 93 or the Scatter Creek Rest Area and continued southbound into Lewis County.
He told police he got “brake checked” by the Jeep and admitted he returned the favor.
The state patrol says the driver of the Jeep pointed a handgun out of the driver’s side window and fired at least one shot.
The two continued at a high rate of speed in and out of traffic until milepost 80 – north of the Chehalis Wal-Mart exit – when the driver of the Mazda lost sight of the Jeep. The 25-year-old victim got off the freeway at exit 77, which is state Route 6 and Main Street and met up with police.
The Jeep is described as a black, mid 2000s base-model Jeep Cherokee with non-tinted windows and Washington license plates.
Its driver was described as a white male in his 60s to 70s with gray hair and a gray beard. The Jeep had a passenger described as a white female in her 80s, wearing a red shirt with an oxygen tube in her nose.
Anyone with information regarding the incident, the Jeep, its driver or passenger, is asked to call detective Ortiz at 360-449-7948.
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For background, read “Car shot at, chased down Interstate 5 in Lewis County” from Wednesday December 30, 2015, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Dude started shit and now is a tattle tale. This type of crap happens all the time. People write checks their asses cant cash. To bad the old man didnt pop you between the eyes. Im sick of the way people drive. Just remember your not in a suit of armor when your behind the wheel.
@Amazed – Read the original story and remember that you only have the 25yo’s version. My guess is that he was speeding down I-5 and encountered the Jeep in the left lane who was probably going the speed limit. He got up on the Jeep’s ass, rather than waiting to go around or waiting for him to move over, and the jeep may have flashed his brake lights for him to back off. Instead he goes around and brake checks the Jeep instead of continuing on his hasty journey – hotheaded little prick.
Now did he get shot at? Did they find a bullet in his car? It’s only the 25yo’s account of that. Any witnesses to the Jeep taking a shot? I’ve had a window blow out in a car for now apparent reason – it just shattered – didn’t get hit by a bullet or a rock. Or one of the kid’s gang banger rivals might have just taken the shot and that’s why the dumb ass was speeding.
So, if the Jeep is identified, and the guy is smart enough to get a decent lawyer, I can’t see how charges can be made if there is no bullet and no witness except by this kid who obviously started the whole thing.
If this guy in the Jeep was a young gang member would you still have the same comments? Probably Not. I wasn’t there & didn’t see this happen. But there is absolutely Nothing that justifies someone shooting at anyone unless it’s self defense. And brake checking doesn’t fall under that. I really hope they find this guy, lock him up & throw away the key. He’s a danger to society. Obviously.
Sounds like the Cherokee’s driver could use a hit of the oxygen his wife was hooked up to, since it doesn’t appear he’s getting enough to his brain.
Good call, Elsie. I hadn’t thought of that, but oxygen tanks aren’t something you can get refilled at any 76 or Texaco station.
the ‘victim’ got brake checked first, then “returned the favor” – which in and of itself was stupid, but to get shot at for it?? the jeep driver needs jail for shooting, which could have had much worse results than just a broken window, and they both need anger management…
Don’t advocate road rage but sounds like the 25yo little prick “victim” got a bit more than he bargained for when he started the whole incident. I would say to stop looking for this old man.
If she has oxygen tube, maybe Lincare might have a list of people needing oxygen in the area? Might be against HIPAA I don’t know. I hope they prosecute the idiot from Spanaway who was probably following too close and got brake checked. Then angered the driver further by doing the same. Not saying it is ok to shoot at someone but there is no excuse for him and his actions either. He is certainly not innocent.