'I Heard Gunshots', Witness To Fatal Road Rage Shooting Tried To Save Victim
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - A witness to Friday's fatal road rage incident that killed 19-year-old JaDerek Gray of Bedford shared his account of what happened.
"Man… and just a few seconds later I heard gunshots," said Isel Valenzuela who was driving down I-35 near Heritage Trace Parkway when Gray passed him on his motorcycle. "Everybody slammed on their brakes, and I was only about three cars behind where it happened."
Fort Worth police said Gray was driving in between lanes of traffic on the center white line on northbound Interstate 35 when a SUV driver — who didn't notice him — started to change lanes. That's when Gray swerved and the two didn't collide. Investigators said Gray then passed several cars and parked his motorcycle on the freeway, stopping all traffic: stunning onlookers. He walked back toward the SUV, pointing a handgun at the driver.
"There is no doubt that he parked his bike and got off it and went up and approached the other vehicle. Now who started it? I don't know. Who flashed the gun first? I don't know. But ultimately it had tragic outcome that could've been avoided," said Valenzuela.
The SUV driver told Gray to put down the gun and that there were children in his vehicle, police said. But Gray kept advancing toward the SUV with his handgun pointed. Thus, the SUV driver retrieved his handgun and shot Gray multiple times. That's when Valenzuela leapt into action. He had a trauma kit on hand and attempted to treat Gray's wounds.
"The guy was in pain. Saying 'oh it hurts. I need to breathe.' "
Valenzuela said police and paramedics arrived about three minutes later. Gray was flown to a nearby hospital where he died. The medical examiner's office said he died of multiple gunshot wounds. Police said officers later located Gray's handgun.
As for Valenzuela, he said he expects to think about the incident every time he's out on the road from now on.
"It definitely puts a different perspective on road rage once you witness something so traumatic like that."