Suspect Arrested for Allegedly Firing Gun in Freeway Traffic

A Mission Viejo man accused of brandishing and firing a pistol while driving in rush-hour freeway traffic was arrested Friday on the southbound side of Interstate 5 south of Alicia Parkway, a Highway Patrol spokesman said.

Kirk Alan Bredeweg, 26, was booked at Orange County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of a concealed weapon in a vehicle, Highway Patrolman Thomas Kerns said.

Kerns and his partner, Paul Neveu, found a .45-caliber revolver and several spent shell casings inside the car, Kerns said.

A female motorist had stopped at the scene of an unrelated accident on southbound Interstate 5 and notified a Highway Patrol motorcycle officer that a motorist had brandished a handgun and fired a single shot in front of her car, striking the center divider, Kerns said.

The motorcycle officer caught up with a vehicle matching the description of the gunman’s car and radioed for help, he said.

Kerns and Neveu joined the chase near El Toro Road and stopped the suspect about 5:45 p.m., Kerns said. A second witness stopped at the scene of the arrest to report that he also had seen a motorist brandishing a handgun while driving on the freeway, where traffic was described as moderate.