SEATTLE — A fight over merging escalated quickly near the West Seattle Bridge Tuesday afternoon and ended in gunfire, according to the Seattle Police Department (SPD).
Two vehicles, a Honda and a Subaru each with a male driver and a female passenger, were traveling south on Highway 99 around 4:50 p.m. when the two drivers engaged in a windows-down, verbal altercation about merging, SPD said.
At one point, the driver of the Subaru spit on the passenger of the Honda, according to SPD.
Both drivers continued westbound from Highway 99 and stopped at a red light at West Marginal Way SW and SW Spokane Street where the driver and passenger of the Honda got out of their car and started banging on the windows of the Subaru, SPD said.
The situation continued to escalate and the Honda driver allegedly punched the Subaru driver through the car's open window, according to SPD.
The Subaru driver tried to drive away and struck the Honda with his car in the process. According to SPD, the driver of the Honda said he was hit by the Subaru and feared he would be pinned between the two cars. For that reason, the Honda driver and passenger shot at the Subaru, hitting the rear passenger tire and causing it to go flat.
The Subaru driver claimed he and his passenger had already started leaving and the occupants of the Honda shot at them as they were trying to get away, SPD said.
Both drivers declined medical treatment at the scene, according to SPD.
The driver and passenger of the Honda both had valid concealed carry licenses and surrendered their guns to police as evidence.
SPD said officers documented the scene and spoke with witnesses, but so far no one has been arrested. Detectives will continue to investigate.