LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio — The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a suspected road rage shooting in Carlisle Township. Troopers there say an unrelated driver was caught up in the violence. They’re still searching for the suspected gunman.
Tami Colegrove told News 5 she had been enjoying a massage and facial during her day off Thursday, but the relaxation from her day unraveled during her drive home that evening.
“I had a great day, was super relaxed, on the phone with my mom driving home,” she said before turning onto Grafton Road from State Route 87. “My back windshield just explodes. My mom hears it on the phone and is like, ‘Oh my gosh did your tire just blow out?’ And I’m like, ‘No mom, my back windshield!’”
Once she could pull over safely and survey the damage, Colegrove realized the rear windshield of her Buick Envision had shattered, and something was embedded in the interior roof.
“I was like, ‘mom, I think I was shot at,’” she said.
Investigators believe the Carlisle Township resident was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“What’s the likelihood that I was just coming home, I just happened to turn when I turned and I turned directly in front of these people, apparently having this cat-and-mouse road rage situation?” Colegrove said.
OSHP believes the shooting was related to a crash about one mile south of Colegrove’s vehicle was shot. Troopers said a motorcyclist lost control on Grafton Road near Liberty Lane. The rider was not injured. He told investigators a tan Acura with a black hood had been following him and driving aggressively.
“A passenger pointed a handgun in his direction. Shortly after that, he ended up losing control, going off the right side of the road, which was the west side of State Route 57,” said Lt. Cliffton Dowell, the commander for the OSHP Elyria post.
He said the suspected gunman was wearing a ski mask. Troopers are still looking for the shooter, driver and suspect vehicle. Dowell said the situation could have ended much worse.
“We could be talking about a loss of life with a situation like this, or even two lives,” he said. “We’re talking about a motorcycle that ended up crashing and a suspected round that went into this Buick.”
Colegrove said she’s grateful no one was injured in the shooting or subsequent crash. She wonders what led up to the incident and why the suspect would be so reckless.
“I just feel terrible that that’s his upbringing, that’s his surroundings, that that’s where he goes to – ‘Someone makes me upset so I go to grab a gun,’” she said.
OSHP has identified the suspect vehicle and a suspect, but charges have not yet been filed as this incident remains under investigation.
Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to contact the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
