Suspected Rush-Hour Road Rage Causes Gunfire On 10 Freeway

COLTON (CBSLA.com) — Police are investigating a suspected road rage incident that shut down the 10 freeway and backed up traffic for miles during the evening commute.  One driver has an idea of what led to the anger.

"It's the heat. The heat does crazy things to people and they have little patience," Danny Macias said.

Investigators believe the driver of a silver car shot at the driver of a black car, while the two were driving east on the freeway near Colton. The injured driver then slammed into the first car, causing both of them to lose control. One of them ended up backwards in the middle of traffic, the other up on the embankment of the off-ramp. Both drivers then got out of their cars and police say the man with the gunshot wound stabbed the other man. Both ended up being taken to the hospital.

Police say because both men were taken immediately into surgery, they weren't able to find out exactly what happened on the road, or if these two drivers knew each other.

"When is it enough?" Chris Elainte asked. "One guy gets shot, the other guy starts chasing, starts stabbing and ramming the car. It's shocking."

Drivers who got stuck on the freeway while investigators tried to clear the scene were upset to learn what was behind the traffic jam.

"That's something that makes you mad, because you're sitting in a car with 5 or 6 kids and it's like: come on. Why can't you just have some patience?" Kristin Sanchez said. "We can all get where we're going and be home and alive."

Police agree and say it's fortunate that in this case, no other drivers were hurt.

"For shootings and vehicle collisions and what not, it's extremely dangerous for everyone on the roadway," Colton Police Sgt. Ray Mendez said. "We were lucky that from what we know, only these two vehicles were involved."

Police are asking anyone who may have caught the incident on dash cam or cell phone video to come forward.