DELTONA, Fla. – A 61-year-old man, one of two people shot Wednesday night on Interstate 4 in Volusia County, called dispatchers himself as he said blood was pouring from his face, according to new audio shared by the Florida Highway Patrol.
“I don’t know, but I’ve just been shot. I’m on the side of the road. Driver shot me in the face. I need help, immediately. I’m on Interstate 4,” the man said. “... I’m pouring the blood out.”
The shooting occurred around 8:50 p.m. as the man drove a Mercedes-Benz on eastbound I-4 near Saxon Boulevard in Deltona. A 19-year-old passenger in the car was also shot, with troopers describing both victims as being from Tennessee. The 911 caller said the other victim is his son.
“They took off but they just shot me right in the face, shot through my windows, shot my boy. Oh, my God. Please hurry,” he said.
On the call, released Thursday, the man can be heard maintaining his composure as he’s asked to describe where he is, as well as where his shooter went and what they looked like.
“What kind of vehicle was it?” the dispatcher said.
“I don’t know. A truck, a pickup truck,” the man replied.
“Do you know what color it was? They’re coming,” the dispatcher reassured him.
“Black. I think I’m going to pass out,” the man said.
Listen to the 911 call in the audio player below:
The suspect vehicle, believed to be a black SUV or pickup truck, reportedly flashed its high-beams behind the man in the inside lane, what he said prompted him to move into the center lane. At that point, troopers said the suspect vehicle pulled up beside the man and a shot was fired into the Mercedes-Benz, striking the two victims.
“I didn’t get out of his way fast enough. I moved over, he pulled up beside me and shot through my window and hit me in the face and kept going,” he said. “It went right through my chin (...) I just heard a big ‘kaboom,’ and I seen blood go everywhere.”
Both men were hospitalized for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, troopers said.
Eastbound lanes of I-4 were shut down for several hours as the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office responded, and FHP later took the lead investigating the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to call FHP at 407-737-2213, or Crimeline at 800-423-8477 to remain anonymous.
FHP is still investigating.
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