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Man accused of shooting woman pregnant with twins in suspected road rage incident – Action News Jax

PALMETTO, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man is accused of shooting a woman pregnant with twins “multiple times” after an alleged road rage incident, authorities said.

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According to Manatee County Sheriff’s Office online booking records, Vincent A. Steele, 50, of Riverview, was arrested Sunday and charged with five counts of attempted first-degree murder.

According to the newspaper, the BMW’s rear bumper struck the truck’s front bumper, causing Steele to lose control and spin onto the grassy shoulder of the highway.

Investigators said that around 5:30 p.m. EDT, a pickup truck was traveling north on Business US 41 when Steele, driving a BMW, attempted to pass the other vehicle in the inbound lane, the Bradenton Herald reported.

The driver of the truck stopped to check on the BMW, but Steele allegedly got out, ran to the pickup’s passenger door and fired seven shots, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

According to the newspaper, the shots hit a 36-year-old woman “several times” in the abdomen.

According to investigators, none of the unborn children were hit.

“We had someone who was just impatient, so it seemed like he was trying to get past this truck,” Manatee County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Randy Warren told WTVT. “It ended up causing an accident and then took it to a whole other level.”

After realizing his fiancée was injured, the 57-year-old driver of the pickup truck drove her to Manatee Memorial Hospital, the Herald reported. She was later taken to Tampa General Hospital for surgery, where she and her two babies are in stable condition.

According to the newspaper, the driver of the truck was not injured, nor was a nine-year-old girl who was also in the pickup.

Steele remained at the scene and spoke with officers before they arrested him, the Times reported. He remains in custody at the Manatee County Jail, online records show.