ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A suspect in a red truck who deputies say was pointing a gun and firing shots on Interstate 95 southbound was taken to the hospital after crashing, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said in a social post.
The crash happened when deputies tried to pull the driver over around mile marker 314, which is south of the State Road 16 exit. Southbound lanes were shut down, but have since reopened.
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Around 9:30 a.m., SJSO said it and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office “received numerous 911 calls about a subject in a red truck pointing a firearm at vehicles on I-95 southbound.”
SJSO said deputies tried to stop the suspect, 62-year-old Samuel O’Neal Gardner, before he drove away, pointing the gun at deputies.
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The red truck crashed and impacted someone else’s car, but the people inside that car were OK, SJSO said.
An SJSO K9 “engaged the suspect as deputies attempted to extract him from the vehicle. The suspect was airlifted to a trauma center.”
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SJSO said it is unclear if Gardner was shooting at motorists or in the air. It is also unclear if he fired at deputies or just pointed a gun at them.
The Florida Highway Patrol is also assisting in the investigation, SJSO said.
If you captured video or photos of the vehicle or occupant, you’re asked to share them with investigators here: https://StJohnsCountySO.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/i95armedsubjectinredtruck
Also, if you were a witness to these events, please contact 904-824-8304 to be put in touch with a detective or email crimetips@sjso.org and a detective will call you back.
WATCH: Video shows gunman waving firearm in I-95 traffic
PHOTOS: Man driving red truck, pointing gun at deputies on I-95 SB crashes, is airlifted to hospital
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