Hillsborough County road rage chase: Man accused of firing shots at vehicle with child inside: HCSO
Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
YOUMANS, Fla. - The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man accused of opening fire on a vehicle carrying four people, including a child, during a road rage incident that stretched across Interstate 4 and other roadways Wednesday afternoon.
The backstory:
According to HCSO, the incident began shortly after 3 p.m. in the Youmans area near the intersection of Highway 92 and Wiggins Road.
Deputies say a caller reported that Nicolas Totherow, 33, was following their vehicle and shooting at them.
The victims told dispatchers there were four people inside their vehicle, including a child, as they remained on the phone with emergency operators while trying to escape.
Investigators say Totherow continued pursuing the vehicle northbound on Park Road before following them onto the I-4 eastbound on-ramp.
Deputies say Totherow continued firing multiple rounds at the victims’ vehicle as the pursuit continued along the interstate.
The victims were eventually able to get away by exiting at County Line Road, while Totherow continued eastbound on I-4, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies later located the victims and confirmed their vehicle had been hit by gunfire several times, HCSO said.
Detectives identified Totherow as the suspect and located him around 6 p.m.
Totherow was taken into custody, and deputies recovered a gun from his vehicle.
Dig deeper:
According to investigators, Totherow admitted during an interview that he fired multiple rounds at the victims’ vehicle and said he intended to kill the driver.
Totherow now faces multiple charges, including:
- Attempted first-degree murder with a firearm
- Four counts of aggravated battery with great bodily harm and a firearm
- Discharging a firearm from a vehicle
- Shooting into an occupied vehicle
- Armed possession of a controlled substance
- Driving while license canceled, suspended or revoked
What they're saying:
"This reckless and violent behavior put multiple innocent lives at risk on our roadways," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "Thanks to the quick actions of our Communications Center and the coordinated response of our deputies and detectives, this suspect was taken into custody before anyone was killed. We will not tolerate violence in our community."
What you can do:
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact HCSO at 813-247-8200.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.