2 hospitalized following shooting on Turnpike

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating after two men were shot inside their vehicle while they were traveling on the Turnpike.

FHP said it happened at approximately 9:55 p.m., southbound just south of Griffin Road.

Authorities said the victims’ red Dodge Charger had been traveling in the center lane when their vehicle was impacted several times. There were four people inside the Charger at the time of the shooting, all males in their mid-twenties, according to FHP.

Investigators said the suspect’s vehicle approached the Charger from the right side and fired multiple rounds towards the passenger side.

“The front right passenger and right rear passenger were both struck by a bullet each. The right-front passenger fired multiple shots in return towards the suspect’s vehicle,” investigators said.

The suspect vehicle continued traveling southbound without stopping.

The Charger stopped on the right shoulder, where the occupants called the police.

The front right passenger and the right rear passenger were both transported to Memorial Regional Hospital, where they remain in stable condition.

The Florida Highway Patrol said there is an average of one vehicle a week being shot at on a South Florida highway and said there has been a surge in criminal activity, including such shootings in the past six months.

Early Friday morning, at around 4:45 a.m., they received word of another shooting on I-75. They said the man who was driving was shot several times with one of the bullets striking him in the lower back.

If you have any information regarding this shooting, please contact FHP at *347.