Man arrested after shooting pregnant woman in road rage incident

Employee report

BRADENTON – Manatee County Sheriff’s Office detectives have arrested a Riverview man who they say fired multiple shots into a vehicle during a traffic accident in Palmetto on Sunday. Vincent Steele, 50, is charged with five counts of attempted murder.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., the occupants of a pickup truck were traveling north on Business US 41 in Palmetto, where it merges with US 41, when the driver of a BMW sedan (Steele) attempted to pass the victim’s truck in the roadway.

Steele’s rear bumper came into contact with the victim’s front bumper, causing Steele to lose control and spin into the grassy shoulder in the 6900 block of US 41. During the investigation and testimony from an independent witness, officers learned that the victim had stopped to investigate. Steele then exited his vehicle, ran to the victim’s passenger side door and fired seven shots into the victim’s truck.

A 36-year-old passenger, who was pregnant with twins, was hit multiple times in the abdomen. When the driver of the pickup truck realized his fiancée had been injured, he drove her to Manatee Memorial Hospital. None of the babies were hit by a projectile.

She was later taken to Tampa General Hospital for surgery. As of Monday, both the mother and unborn babies were in stable condition. The driver of the truck, 57, and a 9-year-old passenger were not injured.

MCSO says Steele remained at the scene and spoke with officers before he was arrested.