A 19-year-old House Springs man was shot several times with a pellet gun during a road-rage incident on March 21 along Old Hwy. 21 in the Imperial area. The man ended up spending two days in an area hospital for treatment of his injuries, said Lt. Gary Higginbotham of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
At about 10:30 p.m., the victim pulled onto Old Hwy. 21 from the Phillips 66 gas station at the intersection with the highway and West Rock Creek Road, accidentally cutting off another vehicle headed south on the highway, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
Three people were inside that vehicle, Higginbotham said.
The driver in that vehicle apparently became angry and began following closely behind the victim’s vehicle, honking and driving onto the shoulder in an attempt to pass, Higginbotham said.
Eventually, the victim pulled over near Spanish Manor, and so did the other vehicle, and a passenger from the back seat got out and began arguing with the victim. The two got into a physical altercation as someone else from the other vehicle shot a pellet gun at the victim, striking him in the head, right cheek, left shoulder and left hand, the report said.
The victim had a female passenger in his vehicle, but she was not hurt, Higginbotham said.
After the victim was shot, the other vehicle fled the scene. The victim was unable to provide a description of that vehicle or of those who assaulted him, Higginbotham said.
As of Thursday (March 30), there were no suspects or arrests. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office tip line at 636-797-5515.