TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating a New Year’s Eve shooting along I-75 in Manatee County.
Florida Highway Patrol said a car was shot into and good Samaritan’s stopped to help.
Michael and Michelle Van Vliet were on their way to fireworks show for New Years, but they did not have the night they were expecting.
“We seen a car in front of us veer to the right, across the lane of traffic, and it rode off the road, not into a ditch but into the grass. So, we pulled over immediately in front of mile marker 226 and noticed that the car was smoking,” Michael said.
“Like something’s not right, we didn’t look at each other and say should we pull over, we just pulled over,” Michelle said.
Michelle was behind the wheel of her Ford when she saw the car swerve.
“It just happened so quickly in front of us, then you saw the smoke. I would be very upset with myself if I did not stop,” she said.
The siblings thought the car was on fire and called 911.
“We seen people scatter out of the car like roaches and a kid came running up to the truck and he said: I’m shot, I’m shot,” Michael said.
They said they put the victim in the truck, put pressure on the wounds, and took off towards a hospital.
“He had one shot; I believe it was in his left side about three inches below his nipple and he had another gunshot in his stomach,” Michael said.
“We need to focus on getting him to this hospital, okay, so he has a chance,” said Michelle.
Florida Highway Patrol is working with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. They said the victim was traveling northbound on I-75, near mile marker 226, when they were shot by another car.
FHP said the victim was shot twice and the vehicle had several bullet holes.
At the hospital, Michelle said they waited for the victim’s mother to arrive and checked in on Monday.
“She said surgery went well and he’s recovering well and thanked me very much for caring for her son,” she said.
Both siblings said they were glad they stopped.
“He would have bled out and probably died, that’s what I think would have happened. I don’t know if anybody else would have pulled over, it was New Years,” Michael said.
“Yes, my brother and I we could have just kept driving, we could have stopped and been shot ourselves, but guess what, you know, it’s a chance you take,” said Michelle. “People need to look out for other people a lot more than we have been in society today.”
Florida Highway Patrol said they do not have a description of the suspect’s vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call FHP at *FHP (*347).
