Utah teen shot in the face on interstate in road rage incident

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DAVIS COUNTY, Utah (CNN) — A motorcyclist was arrested in Davis County after he allegedly shot a woman in the face while driving on Interstate 15 in what officials are calling a road rage incident.
Daniel Bodon, 34, faces multiple felony charges including second-degree attempted murder and three counts of felony discharge of a firearm.
The 18-year-old woman, identified by a friend on a GoFundMe page as Gettie Sheen, was seriously injured as she sustained two gunshot wounds to the face, documents state. The friend said Sheen was hit by two bullets and lost six teeth and currently has sutures in her mouth.
Sheen graduated from high school just last week and was driving to her boyfriend’s workplace when she changed lanes and cut off the motorcyclist, according to the friend.
Officials with the Department of Public Safety called the situation road-rage related.
“It’s extremely alarming and scary in that the suspect’s actions were extremely random and violent,” said State Bureau of Investigation Captain Troy Denney. “An 18-year-old driver, you know, was seriously injured and that could have been any of our loved ones.”
The incident happened in the afternoon of June 5 near the Layton Hills Mall, when a witness captured dash camera video showing a male driver of a motorcycle, later identified as Bodon, pursuing a dark gray Ford Focus at a “high rate of speed” while driving a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and brandishing a handgun, court documents report.
Later, a second witness saw Bodon shoot into the passenger side of a vehicle four times, documents state.
After firing the weapon, Bodon and a passenger who was later identified as a female with light hair “sped off,” exiting the freeway at 700 South and heading West, a witness reported.
“According to the victim and medical staff, the victim sustained two gunshot wounds to the face which required immediate surgery and caused permanent damage and disfigurement to her teeth and lips,” court documents state.
“It appears that she remained calm and collected and drove herself to a trusted individual’s home,” said Captain Benney. “Who then transported her to the hospital.”
Witnesses provided dash camera video of the incident and investigators were able to get descriptions of the driver and the female passenger.
Using surveillance video, officials were able to track down the motorcycle as it traveled through Davis County after the incident and discovered Bodon and his wife’s residence in Roy.
Through warrants, investigators obtained evidence at the home including the motorcycle, clothing, passenger helmet, motorcycle vest, and ammunition, all of which match descriptions from video captured of the incident, documents state.
“It involved herculean efforts, exhausting every resource that we had available to us,” said Utah Highway Patrol Colonel Michael Rapich. “They were able to use private and individual community members, surveillance cameras and camera footage and track the individual’s movements and route.”
It’s unclear what led up to the shooting and Bodon chose to exercise his rights to consult with an attorney before speaking with investigators.
Documents note Bodon has affiliations to a “known local motorcycle gang” and he is being held without bail in the Davis County Jail.
The incident marks the latest in aggravated road-rage-related cases in Utah. Officials emphasize that it’s important for drivers to maintain control of their emotions, especially while on the road.
“For whatever reason, in the dynamics involved and the emotion that gets involved in driving the vehicle and the frustrations that get out of control,” said Colonel Rapich. “We see people do things like this and it is absolutely unacceptable.”
Any motorist who witnesses aggressive or dangerous driving should contact 911 instead of trying to handle the situation themselves.
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Source: eastidahonews.com