HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Shots fired at drivers on interstates is a danger we hear about far too often in the Richmond region.
Virginia State Police is investigating a road rage shooting that took place on Interstate 295 near the Brook Road exit in Henrico County at around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6.
“Just before the vehicles reached Exit 43 on I-295, the [driver of the] sedan fired approximately four shots at the Nissan, striking it one time in the passenger side window and exiting through the front windshield,” a police spokesperson said.
Police said the driver of the Nissan was not hit and there were no reported injuries.
Noora Ramadan and her four daughters live off of the Brook Road exit and says there’s a lot of road rage in the area — Ramadan has experienced it first hand.
“Although I moved and did the right thing, that person was high beaming, kept going behind me everywhere,” said Ramadan. “I switched [lanes], even when I was trying to exit, they hit their left signal, got in front of me and slammed on their brakes, and I had no other option but to kind of veer off into the ditch.”
After hearing about the road rage shooting on I-295, Ramadan said she’s thankful the driver of the Nissan was not injured.
“It terrifies me that it has escalated to somebody [taking out] a weapon and actually shooting at somebody that’s passing by,” said Ramadan.
According to state police, there has been a gradual increase in the number of reported interstate shootings in Virginia since 2020. In 2023, a woman took a video of 58-year-old Eugene Trujillo brandishing a gun at her on an interstate in Newport News.
Ramadan said she hopes she and her daughters never have to experience a situation like that.
“I have to constantly tell my daughters, ‘Do not make eye contact if [an aggressive driver is] on your bumper, let them go find a safe area, kind of pull over if you can safely pull over. If not, just stay focused in front of you,’” said Ramadan.
Virginia State Police reminds motorists to never attempt to stop, confront or follow an aggressive driver while awaiting police response. The best way to notify Virginia State Police about a driver who is being irresponsible and unsafe is to dial #77.
Virginia State Police are continuing to investigate the incident on I-295. Anyone with information is encouraged to call 804-750-8758 or email questions@vsp.virginia.gov.
