Man shot in road rage incident near I-5 offramp

A 27-year-old man who was shot near the Western Avenue exit of the Interstate 5 Freeway Monday afternoon during an apparent road rage incident was expected to recover from his injuries, officials said.

Meanwhile, authorities were searching for the shooter, described as an adult male with light skin who was driving a dark colored van. The victim was transported to Los Angeles County - USC Medical Center after being shot at least once in the torso, officials said.

The incident began about 4:20 p.m. with an altercation between the two drivers on the northbound I-5 Freeway near the Western Avenue exit, Burbank Police Lt. John Dilibert said.

The drivers exited the freeway at Alameda Avenue, stopped and got out of their cars near Ash Avenue and Varney Street, where they continued to argue.

The driver of the van pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots at the victim, who was driving a Mercedes sedan, Dilibert said. The victim, who police did not identify except to say he was not a Burbank resident, was struck once, and his car was hit multiple times, cracking the windshield and rear window.

The 27-year-old man then got back into his Mercedes and drove several blocks to the intersection of Lake Street and Providencia Avenue, where he flagged down a passing motorist to ask for help. The driver of the van fled.

There was no indication that the drivers knew each another, Dilibert said.

“We think it was just a happenance,” Dilibert said. “They came across each other’s fenders in the middle of the freeway, as far as we know.”