Berkeley

‘I see them go right straight through the guardrail': Drivers, leaders shaken by I-80 shooting

CHP continues investigating after a freeway shooting on the Ashby Avenue on-ramp to eastbound Interstate 80 that left one person injured

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The investigation continues after a freeway shooting Friday in the East Bay sent one person to the hospital with injuries.

CHP says it happened just before 5:00 p.m. on the on-ramp from Ashby Avenue to Interstate 80 eastbound. The driver of a silver Camry was shot by the occupant of another vehicle, and then crashed, CHP said.

Vallejo resident Randy Montgomery says he was driving home from work, taking the Ashby Avenue on-ramp to eastbound 80 on Friday evening, and waiting in line for the metering light.

"I had heard a pop," Montgomery recalled.

"To me, I thought maybe it was a car backfiring, I didn’t think much of it," he said, "and all of a sudden I heard a loud scream-- a woman’s scream."

Montgomery said he looked in his rearview mirror at a silver Camry behind him.

"There was this vehicle that was flying down the side of the road and the passenger is trying to get ahold of the wheel, she’s screaming and I quickly see that and I quickly turn to the right, and I see them go right straight through the guard rail," he said.

Montgomery said he narrowly missed being hit by the car. He said he pulled over and called 9-1-1.

Montgomery recalled seeing a woman in the passenger seat get out of the car with glass and spots of blood on her. He also recalled seeing a man in the driver's seat.

"You could see he had a bunch of blood, like on the back of his head," Montgomery said.

Montgomery said several other drivers had pulled over as well and mentioned to him that they thought the driver had been shot. Montgomery also said he stayed at the scene to give statements to officers.

CHP says they are looking for more witnesses to come forward.

"Obviously, 5 p.m. on a Friday on the 80 corridor is a very busy place," said Officer Andrew Barclay, Public Information Officer for California Highway Patrol.

"So we’re hoping that there were people nearby when this happened who might have seen that happen and might be able to provide that information to us," he continued.

Barclay said this investigation is ongoing and CHP is asking that anyone who may have seen anything related this crash to call CHP's investigative tip line at 707-917-4491.

The shooting happened in Berkeley, very close to Emeryville.

In a statement, Emeryville's mayor Courtney Welch told NBC Bay Area, "I am deeply troubled by the recent shooting incident on Interstate 80. Our community stands united in condemning such senseless acts of violence. The safety and well-being of our residents and commuters is paramount, and we must take decisive action to prevent further tragedies."

Welch went on to say, "I strongly support the installation of highway cameras as a proactive measure to enhance public safety and deter criminal activity. These cameras serve as valuable tools for law enforcement in monitoring traffic patterns, detecting incidents in real-time, and swiftly responding to emergencies."

California's governor and state agencies are working to roll out hundreds of cameras on East Bay freeways. Caltrans tells NBC Bay Area that it expects those cameras to be operational by mid-April.

Randy Montgomery says he thinks having those cameras installed will be a positive development.

He also hopes that other people who may have witnessed the shooting and crash on the I-80 onramp come forward to law enforcement.

"Be part of the solution, we have to stop people from doing this kind of stuff and thinking they can get away with it," he said.

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