Florida Trucker Arrested After Firing AR-15 at Fellow Driver on I-55

**Editor’s note: information featured in the story image above was incorrect. The incident did not result in death. We apologize for this error.

A routine Monday morning drive on I-55 turned violent when 46-year-old Michel Quintana-Betancourt of Miami allegedly opened fire on another semi-truck while both rigs were moving between Pevely and Barnhart, Missouri. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the victim was struck by a single round but managed to pull over and call 911, later being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Deputies located and arrested Quintana-Betancourt without incident shortly afterward.

In charging documents, investigators say Quintana-Betancourt claimed he believed the other driver had hit his truck, was trying to “box him in,” and was part of a wider conspiracy connected to threats he believed were made against his family in Florida. However, deputies report that dash-cam footage showed no sign of a collision or aggressive driving by the victim, who appeared completely caught off guard by the gunfire. Quintana-Betancourt is now facing multiple felonies, including First-Degree Assault, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Armed Criminal Action, and is being held without bond as the investigation continues.