ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A semitruck driver was shot Monday while traveling on Interstate 95 near a St. Johns County rest stop, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities were called shortly before 1 p.m. to the northbound I-95 rest area near County Road 210.
A spokesperson for the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office originally told News4Jax that a person was shot while sitting in a vehicle at the rest area but later confirmed the shooting happened on the interstate.
According to the spokesperson, a semitruck was traveling north on I-95 when a gray or silver sedan pulled up alongside and two males inside the car fired at the semitruck. It was not immediately clear how many shots were fired, but the spokesperson said the semitruck driver was struck in the shoulder. The spokesperson said that based on initial statements, it appeared the sedan continued north on I-95 toward Duval County after the shooting.
A woman, who identified herself as the semitruck driver’s girlfriend, told News4Jax that she was sleeping in the back part of the cab when her boyfriend woke her up in a panic, saying he’d been shot through the driver’s side window while they were on the interstate, about 5 miles away from the rest area.
The woman said they called 911 once they pulled over at the rest area. She said her boyfriend was airlifted to a Jacksonville hospital for treatment. The Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said the man’s injuries were initially believed to be non-life-threatening.
“I don’t know what to do,” the man’s girlfriend said. “It’s sort of scary. I mean, he’s all I got.”
The woman, whose dog was also in the cab at the time of the incident, said she has no idea what prompted the shooting.
“I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. I still can’t even wrap my head around it. Why or who would even want to do this because he hasn’t tried to fight with anybody since we been out here,” she said. “It’s scary because you don’t have the answers about any of this that’s going on, and people with guns think that it’s all a game. It’s not a game. It’s not just his life that they’re messing with, it’s mine too.”
The Sheriff’s Office said it continues to investigate. Anyone who was traveling on I-95 in northern St. Johns County after noon Monday and saw or heard anything unusual is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 904-824-8304.