Driver Hurt After Mercedes SUV Riddled With Bullets, Crashes Into Tree on I-95: FHP

A driver was injured when his Mercedes SUV was shot approximately 15 times and crashed into a tree on Interstate 95 in Miami-Dade early Monday, officials said.

The incident happened around 4:15 a.m. in the southbound lanes of I-95 in the area of US-441, Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Alex Camacho said.

When troopers arrived, they found the Mercedes SUV that had struck a tree on the west grassy shoulder.

Investigators found 15 bullet holes in the driver's side of the vehicle, according to Camacho.

Camacho said the vehicle was abandoned by its occupants, but a short time later, the driver of the Mercedes arrived at Jackson North Hospital with an apparent gunshot wound.

He was later transported to Aventura Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The incident left one travel lane shut down on I-95 southbound.

The shooting is at least the fifth highway shooting in South Florida since November. The Florida Highway Patrol has investigated at least 53 shootings since December of 2021, according to numbers from the FHP and NBC6. That includes 38 shootings in Miami-Dade and 15 in Broward.

Retired Miami-Dade Police Major Ignacio Alvarez said updated technology would be a prime tool in solving some of these cases.

“These incidents are more incidents of opportunity. If it’s retaliation, if it’s targeted, they’re going to wait to have the best opportunity to act," Alvarez said. "Highways are easy getaways, especially when you don’t have cameras or any information and get in and get out, quickly."

There are more than 570 cameras on I-95 alone, but none of them record video.

Other areas of the country – like Chicago – have solved this problem by passing legislation to install high-definition cameras and license plate readers along the expressways.

Suspect information on Monday's shooting was not available. FHP officials said the incident remains under investigation.

Check back with NBC6 for updates.