Gunshot fired in road-rage incident

SOUTH SALT LAKE — Police here say fortunately no one was hurt Friday when a man fired a shot during a road-rage incident. The bullet flew across a busy street and landed in a boat dealership.

The incident began about 10:40 a.m. when the occupants of two vehicles got into an altercation near 3900 S. Main, said South Salt Lake police detective Gary Keller. Detectives weren't sure what started the incident, but at one point, the vehicles came in contact with each other. Police later found paint from one car scratched into the other to confirm the two vehicles had bumped.

Near 3600 S. Main, both drivers pulled over, got out and began fighting, Keller said. What happened from that point was still under investigation Friday, but Keller said one of the parties fired a handgun. The bullet went across all lanes of travel on Main Street, hit the chain-link fence post of the boat business and ricocheted off two boats before coming to a rest, Keller said.

One man ran to his car, where a passenger was waiting, and drove off, Keller said. The other ran, and he then later returned to retrieve his car, only to find police waiting. He was being interviewed Friday by police. A knife also was found at the scene. Keller said investigators were trying to determine if it could be linked to the road rage.

"We're trying to figure out who did what," he said. "It was a road rage that escalated into a fight that escalated into at least one shot being fired."

No arrests had been made as of Friday afternoon. Investigators were still looking for the other vehicle, a gold Mercury or Ford Crown Victoria, Keller said.

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