Authorities are working to identify a driver who allegedly shot a woman during rush hour traffic, according to a report provided to The Dallas Express by Grapevine police.
At 7:15 a.m. on Friday, a 27-year-old woman was merging from Bass Pro Drive onto the southbound lanes of SH-121, also known as Airport Freeway. She became involved in a road rage incident with another driver.
The suspect was driving a dark gray, newer-model Mazda CX-9 SUV. He shot at the victim with a “small pistol” and the bullet “went through the woman’s neck,” according to Grapevine police. She pulled over to a shoulder lane for safety, but the man who fired the shot sped away from the scene.
The woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and paramedics transported her to the hospital.
Police say witnesses described the shooter as a white man with brown hair.
The Grapevine Police Department also provided The Dallas Express with a statement asking the public to help apprehend the suspect.
“Detectives are working to locate any surveillance videos in the area that may have captured the suspect’s license plate or other identifying information. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Grapevine Police at: 817-410-3900.”
According to a Texas Department of Insurance study, 80% of Texas drivers report feeling “serious aggression, anger, or road rage at least once a year.”
The Texas Department of Insurance study also outlines key causes of the road rage phenomenon.
“The regular pressure of everyday life – work, relationships, time constraints, and finances — can take a toll on people, even those with normally good anger management skills. Add the stress of driving on a busy road, and sometimes a situation as simple as a vehicle traveling under the posted speed limit can trigger aggressive driving. Driving is dangerous, and because it is dangerous, it creates tension. Drivers’ heart rates often increase, and muscles tighten. Stress makes drivers primed for feeling strong emotions, like anger, when provoked.”
Texas is one of the deadliest states for drivers in the United States, one potential reason for elevated stress on DFW roads. Texas suffered 3,349 fatalities on the road in 2022, a slight increase from 2021.
Violent crimes such as this latest shooting remain high in the metroplex as well, with homicide and non-negligent manslaughter up more than 29.8% year-over-year in Dallas, according to the City of Dallas Open Data crime analytics dashboard.
Road rage became a much bigger issue when they dissolved the presence of traffic police. Also contributing is either the ignorance of drivers to know the road rules (like failing to yield getting on or off the highway) or lack of enforcement of the laws.
Place the blame where the blame belongs: at the feet of social misfits who have no sense of community. Public roads belong to us all and it is OK if someone cuts in front. You will still get to the your destination at the same time.
You SUPPOSED to yield WHEN getting ON to the hwy via the ON ramp,for the cars ALREADY going 70-80 mph on the highway, BUT not WHILE getting off the ON ramp,IF the drivers that are on the service road are YIELDING for the vehicle that’s existing.
I can sympathize with the shooter. Nothing is more aggravating than someone trying to merge onto the highway going half the speed of the traffic and refusing to accelerate to merge. I frequently see people slowing to a crawl or coming to a complete stop while trying to merge into moving traffic.
Well, I have absolutely no sympathy for the shooter. I hope he’s found and put away. But yes, there are lots of idiots with driver’s licenses.