Man shot while driving on I-80 near Richmond

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Apr 1, 2008 | by Robert Salonga

RICHMOND -- A man was shot while driving on Interstate 80 this morning in what investigators believe was not the first time he has been targeted on the freeway, police said.

The driver was wounded in the lower body after a sport-utility vehicle pulled up alongside and opened fire on his car, said Richmond police Lt. Mark Gagan.

Gagan said the man, who was treated at a local hospital and is listed in serious condition, has been the target of a similar attack in the past.

Investigators are working with other law enforcement agencies to connect the attacks, he said. Details about any previous attacks were not immediately available.

This morning's shooting occurred just after 1 a.m. as the victim's Nissan approached Hilltop Road.

According to a witness, a full-sized black SUV -- in the style of a Lincoln Navigator or Ford Excursion -- was speeding and caught up with the Nissan, which had been traveling in the right lane.

Someone inside the SUV then fired multiple rounds at the driver's side door of the Nissan, wounding the driver, Gagan said.

The Nissan driver, who had no other occupants in his car, took the El Portal Drive offramp and flagged down a Contra Costa County sheriff's deputy who was on patrol.

It is not known how many occupants were in the SUV the shots are believed to have come from, Gagan said.

Anyone with information can contact Detective Sgt. Mitch Peixoto at 510-620-6647.

Reach Robert Salonga at 925-943-8013 or rsalonga@bayareanewsgroup.com.