Father shot along I-5 Freeway during road rage shooting on New Year's Eve

A father was hospitalized after a shooting on the I-5 Freeway in Norwalk on Sunday afternoon. 

The shooting happened at around 3:10 p.m., on northbound lanes near the Carmenita Road onramp, according to California Highway Patrol. 

As a result of the shooting, CHP officers issued a SigAlert for the road, causing a massive traffic backup on Sunday. Hundreds of cars could be seen sitting motionless on the freeway with SkyCal overhead. 

The victim, identified by family members as Noel Pena, was rushed to a nearby hospital by Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics. He's currently fighting for his life. His daughter said doctors recently removed his breathing tube.

"He was crying just happy to finally get that tube out of his mouth," his daughter Pamela Pena said. "It was frustrating. He wanted to talk to us, to do all these sorts of things but he couldn't."

Pena's improved condition was met with "mixed feelings" from his family as he still has as long road to recovery. 

"We all just shared a moment of happiness and, at the same time, sadness," his daughter said. "It's a bunch of mixed feelings all around."

Investigators have not yet determined a motive for the shooting or identified a possible suspect. However, Pamela said her father honked his horn at a driver who was about to cause an accident. As soon as he did that, the other driver began yelling at Pena.

Pamela's father responded to the other driver before the suspect began shooting. 

One of the rounds pierced through Pena's armpit, shattered his collarbone and lodged itself inside his throat. 

Pamela said one of the reasons her father survived was because a nurse pulled over on the freeway and saved his life.