CLEVELAND — It was a normal morning commute for one man as he drove his typical route to work over the I-480 Valley View Bridge, heading to his office in downtown Cleveland. But his routine drive took a turn when he was shot at in a road rage incident.
The man, who works here at WKYC Studios and whom 3News is choosing not to name per the advice of police, said another car was attempting to cut him off as he was driving. He continued driving in his lane, but he claims the other car continued to get closer to him, attempting to push him out of his lane.
At that point, he says he moved over into the righthand lane. That's when he tells us the other car pulled up beside him, rolled down the window, and shot at him.
"When he was rolling his window down, I thought he was going to yell at me or throw something at me, not shoot at me," he recalled. "That's where I was like, 'Is this really happening?' I was in total disbelief and shock."
Luckily, the bullet missed him and instead hit the rim of his tire, leaving an indentation and marks where the round ricocheted off.
"When it first happened, I was in shock. I couldn't believe it happened," he said. "And then I'm, like, feeling my body, looking for blood or warmth or whatever, and it wasn’t there. Then I turned around and was looking at my windows. Didn't shoot the window, but he did hit the car."
3News reached out to Ohio State Highway Patrol to learn more about what drivers should do if they find themselves in a road rage situation. According to Sergeant Bridget Matt, drivers should slow down and create distance between themselves and the other vehicle. If you are in danger, she said you should call 911, and if the vehicle continues to follow you, drive to the nearest police station or highway patrol post.
According to OSHP data, from the beginning of 2018 through July of 2023, there have been 10,541 total road rage incidents reported in the state. From the beginning of this year through July, there have been 1,205 road rage incidents statewide.
Matt noted road rage incidents do not always involve guns, adding they often involve patterns of driving that can cause harm, such as brake checking.
This isn’t the first road rage incident 3News has reported in recent months. In May, a man died after he was shot on I-76 in Norton. In June, the Ohio State Highway Patrol asked for help identifying a driver they believed could have been involved in a road rage shooting in Erie County the month prior.
The WKYC employee said he hopes others can learn from his experience.
"Just what the officer told me and what I've learned firsthand is if you've got an aggressive driver, let them do their thing and move as far away from them as possible,"