A truck driver who survived an interstate attack at 70 m.p.h. in Ohio last night says that he’s grateful to be alive after his truck took multiple rounds of gunfire.
CDLLife spoke with veteran driver Marcus Sommers after he survived being “blasted with bullets” by an unknown suspect who has yet to be taken into police custody.
The shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. on Monday on westbound I-70 near mile marker 47 in Ohio.
Sommers told CDLLife that he was going about his daily driving routine and traveling at 70 m.p.h. when he heard the “pop pop pop” of multiple rounds.
Unable to tell where the shots were coming from and suddenly covered in glass from his shattered windows, Sommers said that he reached for his gun to defend himself and then managed to safely pull over despite the extensive damage that his truck incurred. He was uninjured during the incident.
Sommers said that he didn’t see a shooter during the incident or after he pulled over.
Sommers called 911 and then his wife to let her know that he was okay following the incident.
Sommers said that responding police offers showed utmost concern for his safety and he extends his thanks for how they treated him during the investigation.
For now there are more questions than answers about the shooting incident.
Sommers said that police speculated that the weapon could have been a BB gun or pellet gun, but given the amount of damage that his truck sustained, he isn’t sure that this is the case.
Sommers pointed out that the shooting happened as a car passed him while he travelled under an overpass, so it isn’t yet clear whether the shooter targeted him from the vehicle or from a higher vantage point. Sommers also wondered if there was more than one shooter.
When asked whether he believed that the incident was related to a recent uptick in violence due to protests over the death of George Floyd, Sommers said, “No idea” and remarked that there’s “nothing we can do about it.”
Sommers also mentioned that he flies an American flag on his truck. He says that for the most part, he gets a “thumbs up” from other drivers for the flag, but that it is possible that someone was offended by it.
As a driver who says he’s “seen it all in my millions of miles,” Sommers advised other truckers who find themselves in similar situations to know their surroundings, to keep calm and composed, to think as clearly as possible, and to remove themselves and their vehicle from the situation safely. Sommers also emphasized the importance of drivers being able to carry for self defense.
“When we tie our shoes and start our trip, we never know who will untie them at the end of the day,” Sommers said.
Police will review HD dash cam video from the truck as the investigation continues.