Road rage car-to-car shooting on I-80 in Placer County leaves 2 hurt

PLACER COUNTY — Authorities say the car-to-car shooting along Interstate 80 near Auburn Friday night that left two people hurt is an isolated incident.

According to California Highway Patrol, officers got a report about a shooting on the westbound side of the freeway east of Maple Street just before 9 p.m.

As the victims reported, someone in another vehicle shot into their vehicle — leaving two people hurt. The victims managed to pull into a gas station just off the freeway and called 911.

Both people hurt were taken to the hospital and are expected to survive, CHP says.

Exactly what led up to the shooting is still under investigation, but road rage is being looked at as a possibility and CHP noted that the incident appears to be an isolated event.

No details about the suspect or their vehicle have been released at this point in the investigation. CHP is still looking for any possible video footage.

Highway shootings in California

CHP has been working to crack down on freeway shootings. The most recent statistics provided by CHP show a significant drop in freeway shootings in recent years.

During the pandemic in 2021, freeway shootings spiked to 471 cases. However, by 2023, that number had dropped to 274.

Officers say if you are driving on the freeway when a shooting happens, you should remain calm, be a good witness and take note of any details such as vehicle descriptions or numbers, get to a safe distance, and call 911.